A significant amount of canopy vegetation is made up of lianas and vines. Lianas are woody vines often referred to as stranglers for their habit of completely encompassing the trunks and branches of trees. Sometimes reaching heights of 3,000 feet, lianas grow to such extreme lengths to reach the canopy and its abundant sunlight. Strychnos (Strychnos toxifera) is a medium-size liana found in South America. The poison strychnine is derived from this plant. Another well-known liana is ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi), a major component in a psychoactive drug preparation used by indigenous people throughout South America. Vines can be tender or woody, but generally are much smaller and less destructive than lianas. Split-leaf philodendron (Monstera deliciosa) and golden fig (Ficus aurea) are two common rainforest canopy vines often grown as houseplants.
Thousands of varieties of epiphytic orchids and bromeliads are found in the rainforest, most abundantly at the canopy level. The term epiphyte means a plant that grows on another plant, but uses its host only for support and not nutrients. Elusive and seldom seen, canopy orchids and bromeliads thrive in the bright light and constant moisture found in the upper reaches of the forest. Darwin's orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale) is an unusual epiphytic orchid found in the forests of Madagascar. Known for its waxen, star-shaped flowers, Darwin's orchid is a rare and endangered species in its native habitat, although it is widely cultivated. The Eldorado orchid (Cattleya eldorado) is a Brazilian species of epiphytic canopy orchid found near the city of Manaus. Its flower resembles that of a daffodil, but is pale pink with a yellow-throated trumpet. Bromeliads are a relative of the pineapple family. Known for their brightly colored, petal-like leaves, bromeliads play an important role in the ecology of the forest canopy by providing habitat for spawning frogs and insects. Coralberry (Aechmea fulgens) is known as a common and highly ornamental houseplant, but it naturally occurs in the rainforest canopy.
Epiphytic ferns are among the most common plants found in the canopy. They come in an amazing diversity of shape and often are collected for cultivation. One of the most well-known varieties is the bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus), which is popular as a houseplant. It has long, somewhat wavy leaves that efficiently funnel rainwater toward the base of the plant. The unusual ribbon fern (Ophioglossum pendulum) has fleshy, twisted leaves with a straplike shape. Found in the canopies of New South Wales, this variety is rare in its natural habitat.
