Silicolous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing an organism that lives in, on, or among rocks rich in silica, such as certain lichens or mosses
2. Inhabiting or growing upon stone and soil that contains a high proportion of silica
3. Relating to plants or animals that thrive on siliceous substrates composed largely of silicon dioxide

Etymology: Plants that grow only on flint-rich ground carry a name built from Latin roots meaning "flint" and "dweller." The first part, "silic-," comes from "silex," meaning flint or hard stone, which also gave English "silica." The ending "-colous" comes from "-cola," meaning "inhabitant," from the Latin verb "colere," to inhabit or cultivate. That same verb lies behind "colony" and "culture," so the underlying sense is of living on and working a place. The word follows a common pattern in scientific vocabulary. Ecologists formed similar terms such as "calcicolous" for lime-loving organisms and "saxicolous" for rock-dwelling ones, from Latin "saxum," stone. This term specifies a substrate made largely of silicon dioxide, the chemical compound that makes up silica.