Lucas Bustamante / Choco Toucan (Ramphastos brevis) on a tree with epiphytes, Mashpi, Pichincha, Ecuador

Tim Laman / Epiphytic orchid (Bulbophyllum medusae) growing in the canopy of the lowland rainforest, Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Tim Laman / Giant orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) growing high in the rainforest canopy in Borneo. This species is the world's largest orchid, with flowering stalks reaching 3 m long. Gunung Palung National Pa...

Tim Laman / Botanist amongst the flowers of a Giant orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) growing high in the rainforest canopy in Borneo. This species is the world's largest orchid, with flowering stalks reaching 3...

Tim Laman / Giant orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) growing high in the rainforest canopy in Borneo. This species is the world's largest orchid, with flowering stalks reaching 3 m long. Gunung Palung National Pa...

Tim Laman / Giant orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) growing high in the rainforest canopy. This species is the world's largest orchid, with flowering stalks reaching 3 m long. Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo...

Pete Oxford / Forest vegetation with epiphytes growing on tree branches on the western slope of the Mindo Cloud Forest, Ecuador, South America

Jouan & Rius / Looking up through Epiphytes in the canopy of rainforest, Eungella National Park, Queensland, Australia

Jouan & Rius / Epiphytes growing on trunk in a cloud forest, Santa Elena Nature Reserve, Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Tropical rainforest / cloud forest scenic, Monteverde National Park, Costa Rica

Dave Watts / Staghorn fern in rainforest {Platycerium superbum} Queensland, Australia

Pete Oxford / Epiphytic bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) in canopy. Yasuni NP, Amazon, Ecuador, South America

Tim Edwards / Hanging mosses on Mountain beech Temperate rainforest South Island New Zealand

Vincent Grafhorst / Tree with epiphytes, Harenna Forest, Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

Ingo Arndt / Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) trees in swamp with epiphytes and ferns, Everglades National Park, Florida

Ingo Arndt / Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) trees in swamp with epiphytes and ferns, Everglades National Park, Florida

Gerry Ellis / Crown of emergent rainforest tree covered in epiphytes in montane tropical rainforest, Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica

Linda Pitkin / Mistletoe (Viscum album). Box Hill, Surrey, England, UK. March.

Cyril Ruoso / Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) seedling growing as epiphyte on leaf alongside moss, lichen and cyanobacteria. Golfito, Costa Rica.

Cyril Ruoso / Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) seedling growing as epiphyte on leaf alongside moss, lichen and cyanobacteria. Golfito, Costa Rica.

Cyril Ruoso / Leaf covered in epiphytes including moss, lichen and cyanobacteria. Golfito, Costa Rica.

Terry Whittaker / Darwin's epiphytic orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale). In hotel garden, Andasibe, Madagascar.

Terry Whittaker / Epiphytic orchid (Aerangis modesta). Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.

Ashley Cooper / Lichens hanging from branches in native Beech (Nothofagus sp) and Pine forest. Between Puerto Natales and Seno Obstruccion, Magallanes, Chile. January.

Ashley Cooper / Lichens hanging from branches in native Beech (Nothofagus sp) and Pine forest. Between Puerto Natales and Seno Obstruccion, Magallanes, Chile. January.

Jeff Foott / Small ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata) growing on Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris) branch. Baja California, Mexico.

Jeff Foott / Small ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata) growing on Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris) branch. Baja California, Mexico.

Jeff Foott / Small ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata) growing on Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris) branch. Baja California, Mexico.

Jeff Foott / Small ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata) growing on Boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris). Sonoran Desert, Baja California, Mexico.

Nick Garbutt / Keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) perched on branch amongst epiphytes. Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.

Nick Garbutt / Collared aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus) perched on branch amongst epiphytes. Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.

Jurgen Freund / Basket fern (Drynaria rigidula) growing on tree trunks in forest, view from below. Far North Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus) growing on tree trunk. Daintree Rainforest, Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Swordfern (Aglaomorpha sp) on tree trunk in rainforest. Far North Queensland, Australia.

Derek Galon / Epiphytes at base of tree in Syndicate Forest, Morne Diablotin National Park, Dominica, Lesser Antilles.

Derek Galon / Vines and epiphytes on tree trunk in Syndicate Forest, Morne Diablotin National Park, Dominica, Lesser Antilles.

Derek Galon / Epiphyte on buttress root in rainforest. Syndicate Forest, Morne Diablotin National Park, Dominica, Lesser Antilles.

Nick Hawkins / Bromeliad flowering in cloud forest, Choco region, Northwestern Ecuador.

Nick Hawkins / Bromeliad growing in the cloud forests, Choco region, Northwestern Ecuador.

Nick Hawkins / Zebra bromeliad (Aechmea zebrina) growing in canopy at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

Wendy Shattil / Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) hanging from trees, North Lake behind. Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, near Alamo, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA. July.

Wendy Shattil / Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides). Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, near Alamo, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA. July.

Wendy Shattil / Forest with Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) growing in trees. Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, near Alamo, Hidalgo County, Texas, USA. July.

Edwin Giesbers / Ancient Laurel forest / Laurisilva with epiphytic ferns on trees UNESCO World Heritage Site, Maderia.

Edwin Giesbers / Ancient Laurel forest / Laurisilva with epiphytic ferns on trees UNESCO World Heritage Site, Maderia.

Adrian Davies / Montezuma oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma) Costa Rica.

Adrian Davies / Montezuma oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma) Costa Rica.

Morley Read / Nesting masdevallia orchid (Masdevallia nidifica) growing as a twig epiphyte, Imbabura Province, Ecuador.