cryophyte

[ krahy-uh-fahyt ]
/ ˈkraɪ əˌfaɪt /

noun

any plant, as certain algae, mosses, fungi, and bacteria, that grows on ice or snow.
any low-growing, succulent, blooming plant of the genus Cryophytum (or Mesembryanthemum), certain species of which form extensive mats along the southwestern coasts of the U.S.

Origin of cryophyte

First recorded in 1905–10; cryo- + -phyte

British Dictionary definitions for cryophyte

cryophyte
/ (ˈkraɪəˌfaɪt) /

noun

an organism, esp an alga or moss, that grows on snow or ice