A pyrophyte plant is a plant which tolerate fire. "Pyrophyte" comes from the ancient Greek "pyros" (=fire) and "phytos" (=plant).

Fire acts favorably for some species. When the fire is short, it destroys the more sensitive plants or worst protected.

Some plants do resist to the fires. For example, trees with thick barks or herbaceous plants with wet fibers.

Passive pyrophytes

They resist fire with their thick barks. Examples:

• giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
• sequoia sempervirens
• Cork oak (Quercus suber L.)
• Niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia)who is extending in the areas where bush fires became a mode of clearing : New Caledonia.

Herbaceous plants resist because high moisture content. Specially the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap. It grows in the acid marshes of South Carolina. The plant grow slowly and benefits from the fires which eliminate the concurrent plants. ^[1]

Fires suppressions threatens the species in its natural environment. ^[2] For some species of pines, such as Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis), European Black Pine (Pinus nigra) and Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), the effects of fire are antagonistic: moderated, it helps of pine cone bursting, seeds dispersion and the cleaning of the underwoods. Intense, it destroys these resinous trees.

Other pyrophyte plants :

• white Asphodel (Asphodelus albus)

Active pyrophytes

Some trees and shrubs such as the eucalypts of Australia actually encourage the spread of fires by producing inflammable oils, and are dependent on their resistance to fire which keeps other species of tree from invading their habitat.

Pyrophile plants

Other plants which need fire for their reproduction are called pyrophile.

The passage of fire, by increasing temperature and releasing smoke, is necessary to raise seeds dormancy of pyrophile plants such as cistus and Byblis an australian passive carnivorous plant.

Imperata cylindrica is a plant of Papouasia-New Guinea. Even green, it ignites easily and causes fires on the hills.

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