Abstract
Mycoheterotrophic plants lack chlorophyll and depend on an intimate association between their underground organs and fungi connected to photosynthetic plants for carbon compounds. The diverse fungi involved may also increase access to soil-derived nutrients. Examples of mycoheterotrophic species occur within nonvascular plants, the gametophytes of several seedless vascular plant genera, and the roots/rhizomes of many angiosperms. This chapter focuses on the structural diversity of the underground organs of mycoheterotrophic plants and the complex mycorrhizal colonization patterns observed using a variety of microscopic methods. Evolutionary trends of mycoheterotrophic plants towards compact root/rhizome systems combined with colonization patterns that result in a sustained benefit from the fungus occur in most angiosperm lineages and are textbook examples of convergent evolution.
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