Mycorrhizae and orchid systematics
Monique Reed
monique at MAIL.BIO.TAMU.EDU
Tue Sep 2 16:18:19 CDT 2003
There's a debate raging over at sci.bio.botany about whether mycorrhizae are useful for investigating the taxonomy of the Orchidaceae--e.g., "these two similar species of orchids must be different because one forms relationships solely with fungus X, while the other depends solely on Y." So far, I don't think any orchid systematists or mycologists have weighed in on the subject. I know that parasitology has been used to help fine-tune taxonomies in animals. Can anyone tell me if mycorrizal associations might have a similar use in orchid systematics? Are there any literature references I might pursue?
Monique Reed
Herbarium Botanist
Biology Department
TAMU 3258
Texas A&M University
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