autophyte
/ˈɔːtəfaɪt/
noun
- A plant that can make its own food from inorganic substances, usually through photosynthesis.
- Most trees are autophytes, relying on chlorophyll to create food from carbon dioxide and water.
- An autophyte like a sunflower uses sunlight to produce its own energy.
- In biology class, we learned that an autophyte does not need to consume other organisms for nutrition.