Seed germination of Galeola altissima, an achlorophyilous orchid, with aphyllophorales fungi

Basidiomycota: Homobasidiomycetes

“…Orchid associates are found in the euagarics clade (Armillaria, Ceratobasidium, and Lentinula), cantharelloid clade (Tulasnella), polypore clade (Ganoderma, Loweporus, Microporus), and hymenochaetoid clade (Erythromyces and Phellinus) (Currah and Zelmer 1992;Umata 1995Umata , 1998, as well as in the Auriculariales (Umata 1997). However, it is not known whether Lentinula and the polypores and hymenochaetoid fungi listed form fully functional orchid mycorrhizae in nature, or only promote orchid seed germination (Umata 1995(Umata , 1998.…”

“…However, Coltricia is ectomycorrhizal (Danielson 1984) and a number of lignicolous hymenochaetoid fungi have been shown to form orchid mycorrhizae (Umata 1995). It is likely that all the Hymenochaetaceae are in the hymenochaetoid clade, but it is difficult to estimate how many Corticiaceae and Polyporaceae are in this group.…”

“…Homobasidiomycetes include fungi that form ectomycorrhizae (including both arbutoid and monotropoid mycorrhizae), orchid mycorrhizae, and possibly ericoid mycorrhizae (Smith and Read 1997;Umata 1995). Historically, basic studies of mycorrhizae have been limited by the reliance of basidiomycete taxonomy on fruiting bodies, but molecular sequence databases are providing powerful new tools for identifying mycorrhizae in the absence of fruiting bodies, as well as for inferring evolution of mycorrhizae (Cullings et al 1996;Gardes and Bruns 1996;Taylor and Bruns 1997;Bruns et al 1998).…”

“…However, it is not known whether Lentinula and the polypores and hymenochaetoid fungi listed form fully functional orchid mycorrhizae in nature, or only promote orchid seed germination (Umata 1995(Umata , 1998.…”

Evidence for novel and specialized mycorrhizal parasitism: the orchid Gastrodia confusa gains carbon from saprotrophic Mycena

“…Species of the genus Gastrodia and its related genus Didymoplexis are suspected to associate with several decomposer fungi such as Armillaria, Marasmius and Fomes (Burgeff 1932;Campbell 1962Campbell , 1964. The world's largest nonphotosynthetic plant, Erythrorchis ochobiensis, is reported to form mycorrhizas with a wide range of wood-rotting fungi (Hamada & Nakamura 1963;Umata 1995Umata , 1997Umata , 1998a. Mycorrhizal parasitism is also supported by recent work in the non-photosynthetic orchid Epipogium roseum with a litter-decomposing Coprinaceae spp.…”