A mycotroph is a
plant
Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
that gets all or part of its carbon, water, or nutrient supply through
symbiotic association with
fungi
A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
. 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.
References
Trophic ecology
Mycology
Symbiosis
Parasites of fungi
Parasitic plants
Plant nutrition
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