(Best months for growing Strawberries (from seeds) in Australia-temperate regions). S = Plant undercover in seed trays. 1  Start inside in pots or trays after chilling seeds.. 2  Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Saprophyte(noun) any plant growing on decayed animal or vegetable matter, as most fungi and some flowering plants with no green color, as the Indian pipe.
Credit: Magellan nh CC-BY 3.0. Saprophytes are organisms that subsist on dead matter. The term originally covered all such organisms, and is still used that way in some contexts. The bacteria, fungi and plants once called saprophytes are all genetically unrelated. However, plants which were classified as saprophytes do use saprobic fungi to obtain their nutrients in lieu of photosynthesis. Saprobic fungi and saprophytic bacteria obtain their nutrients directly from the digestion of dead material. Their feeding decomposes the material and helps enrich the surrounding soil.