Mycotroph
Plant that obtains its nutrient supply through symbiotic association with fungi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A mycotroph is a plant that gets all or part of its carbon, water, or nutrient supply through symbiotic association with fungi.[1] A holomycotroph gets all its nutrition solely from a mycorrhizal symbiosis.[2] The term can refer to plants that engage in either of two distinct symbioses with fungi:
- Many mycotrophs have a mutualistic association with fungi in any of several forms of mycorrhiza. The majority of plant species are mycotrophic in this sense. Examples include Burmanniaceae.
- Some mycotrophs are parasitic upon fungi in an association known as myco-heterotrophy.
