Protocorm-Supporting Fungi Are Retained in Roots of Mature Tipularia discolor Orchids as Mycorrhizal Fungal Diversity Increases.

ABSTRACT: Mycorrhizal fungi are critical to understanding the distribution patterns of many plants, but they are especially important for orchids. Some orchids may change the mycorrhizal fungi they use through their lives, either in response to changes in abiotic or biotic conditions, or as a result of ontogenetic changes that alter the orchid's need for fungal nutrition. The temperate terrestrial orchid Tipularia discolor germinates only on decomposing wood, but often persists well after the wood has completely decomposed and has been incorporated into the soil. We used PCR and Sanger sequencing to ask: (1) Do mature T. discolor retain protocorm fungi or are protocorm and adult mycorrhizal fungi mutually exclusive? (2) Are protocorm fungi limited to areas with decomposing wood? (3) Does the abundan

SUBMITTER: McCormick M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8233912 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature