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Canopy root
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<p>A canopy root, also known as an arboreal root, is a type of <a href="/facts/Root/x2U60Gdm">root</a> that grows out of a tree branch underneath an <a href="/facts/Epiphytic/n0oUN0Yd">epiphytic</a> <a href="/facts/Algal_mat/59jX0ezr">mat</a>. These <a href="/facts/Adventitious_roots/QG8xICDa">adventitious roots</a> form in response to moist, dark, nutrient-rich conditions that are found in “canopy soils”. Canopy roots have been found in species of <a href="/facts/Maple/xCgQIY4z">maple</a>, <a href="/facts/Populus/SSgurBpF">poplar</a>, <a href="/facts/Alder/KbD9YG8w">alder</a>, <a href="/facts/Myrtus/kw7umG7z">myrtle</a>, <a href="/facts/Beech/9LMa0wKB">beech</a>, and <a href="/facts/Spruce/P1jQLaAY">spruce</a>, among many others. They are structurally similar to roots found on the <a href="/facts/Forest_floor/ECKTb8Ig">forest floor</a> and likely serve a similar purpose for water and nutrient uptake, though their specific functions are still being studied. </p>