Question

What term describes a plant that requires nutrition from a living host plant?

a. parasite

b. saprophyte

c. epiphyte

d. Insectivorous

Short answer

a. parasite

Step-by-step solution

Step-1 Introduction

Plants are autotrophs because they synthesize their food. These are also called producers because they produce food and other organisms get their food from plant products. But some plants are dependent on other plants for their survival and nutrition.

Step-2 Explanation 

Parasitic nutrition is a type of nutrition where one organism depends upon another living organism for nutrition. Some plants of invasive species cannot make their food and they grow by getting nutrition from other plants.

Saprophytic nutrition involves the nutrition from dead and decayed matters.

Epiphytes are the plants that grow on other plants but they make their food.

Insectivorous plants are also called carnivorous plants. They capture those insects that come nearer to them.

Step-3 Final answer

The correct option is (a).

Parasitic plants require nutrition from other living host plants.