query about saprophytic plants

 
 
query about saprophytic plants…: Now all the saprophytic plants are commonly classified as mycoheterothophic plants...Does all the saprophytic plants have an association with a particular fungus???
All the members please clear my doubt.

I will reply positively to your query. The research on fungal symbiosis shows, without the help of the fungi it becomes challenging for the saprophytic plant, to survive because they are mostly non green plants. I am also
attaching a paper from Nature journal for your reference.
Kindly find the list of mycoheterotropic plant genera list from the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_myco-heterotrophic_genera

Yes saprophytes are now called mycoheterotrophs and not saprophytes any more. No plants are saprophytes anymore. ts not that they are commonly called as mycoheteroptrophs.

Saprophytes by definition means those plants which grow on dead and decaying organisms. But experiments revealed that actually the plants are parasitic on fungi that might be living ind ead and decaying organisms.

They can either be holo-mycoheterotrophs or partial mycoheteroptrops.
Holo is completely dependent on the fungus and partial mycoheteroptrops are not completely dependent.

Do they have association with particular fungus. Yes they have association with species from particular group of fungus. Fungi is classified into Fungus can be of two groups, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) or Ectomycorrhizas (Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, and Zygomycota).

If you are talking about the plants which makes association with fungus. Then the fungus can be highly specific for a particular species of plant. For orchids, they are highly specific.

For fungal classification, may be one of our members, … can explain better.

… is right, but i slightly differ from him at one point.
There are plants which are partially myco-heterotrophic. Example Corallorhiza trifida. This plant lacks leaves, but they have green pigments on fruits and stems and these green pigments help them in managing some food but its not enough for the plant. So they help of fungal mycelium to make contact with other angiospermic plant (Betula utilis).

I am sorry. There was a twist of wordings. … said, mostly non-green plants. So I am sure, he is well aware that all mycoheterotrophic plants are not non-green, rather there are some which are green.

You are absolutely correct in saying that there are huge group of green plants that depend on Fungi for nutrition uptake. Now a days even researches debate thats every plants in the world at some point of their life cycle depend on Fungi for nutrition. I only focused on non-green one as Ankush Ji was more emphasizing
on it. I think you provided an excellent summery about plant Fungi interaction, which I think is enough. A lots of details can be added but will lead to development of unnecessary complexity.

 
 

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