Abstract
BackgroundMycoheterotrophic orchids are achlorophyllous plants that obtain carbon and nutrients from their mycorrhizal fungi. They often show strong preferential association with certain fungi and may obtain nutrients from surrounding photosynthetic plants through ectomycorrhizal fungi. Gastrodia is a large genus of mycoheterotrophic orchids in Asia, but Gastrodia species’ association with fungi has not been well studied. We asked two questions: (1) whether certain fungi were preferentially associated with G. flavilabella, which is an orchid in Taiwan and (2) whether fungal associations of G. flavilabella were affected by the composition of fungi in the environment.ResultsUsing next-generation sequencing, we studied the fungal communities in the tubers of Gastrodia flavilabella and the surrounding soil. We found (1) highly diversified fungi in the G. flavilabella tubers, (2) that Mycena species were the predominant fungi in the tubers but minor in the surrounding soil, and (3) the fungal communities in the G. flavilabella tubers were clearly distinct from those in the surrounding soil. We also found that the fungal composition in soil can change quickly with distance.ConclusionsG. flavilabella was associated with many more fungi than previously thought. Among the fungi in the tuber of G. flavilabella, Mycena species were predominant, different from the previous finding that adult G. elata depends on Armillaria species for nutritional supply. Moreover, the preferential fungus association of G. flavilabella was not significantly influenced by the composition of fungi in the environment.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1422-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Mycoheterotrophic orchids are achlorophyllous plants that obtain carbon and nutrients from their mycorrhizal fungi
It has been suggested that fully mycoheterotrophic orchids often show high specificity toward their mycorrhizal fungi [3,4,5]
Preferential association between Mycena fungi and G. flavilabella Based on the clear distinction between the fungal communities in the G. flavilabella tubers and those in the surrounding soil (Figure 2, 3, and 4), we proposed that specific fungal communities had developed in the tubers of G. flavilabella
Summary
Mycoheterotrophic orchids are achlorophyllous plants that obtain carbon and nutrients from their mycorrhizal fungi. They often show strong preferential association with certain fungi and may obtain nutrients from surrounding photosynthetic plants through ectomycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal association between plants and fungi is a common phenomenon in plants. Some orchid species are achlorophyllous through their entire life and must obtain carbon and nutrients for their growth and survival through mycorrhizal fungi [2]. It has been suggested that fully mycoheterotrophic orchids often show high specificity toward their mycorrhizal fungi [3,4,5]. Mycorrhizal association may vary in photosynthetic orchids [6,7].
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