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Differences in mycorrhizal preferences between two tropical orchids.

J Tupac Otero1, James D Ackerman, Paul Bayman

  • 1Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Río Piedras, PO Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3360.

Molecular Ecology
|July 13, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Tropical orchids show varied fungal partnerships. Tolumnia variegata is a generalist, associating with multiple fungi, while Ionopsis utricularioides is a specialist, preferring one fungal type for successful germination.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant biology
  • Mycology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Orchids rely on mycorrhizal fungi for seed germination, but the specificity of this relationship in tropical species remains debated.
  • Limited experimental data exists regarding the specificity of mycorrhizal associations in tropical orchids.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate mycorrhizal specificity and symbiotic performance in two related epiphytic orchids from Puerto Rico: Tolumnia variegata and Ionopsis utricularioides.
  • To compare the fungal partners and germination success rates between the two orchid species.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of mycorrhizal fungi using nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences.
  • Symbiotic seed germination experiments using orchid seeds and isolated fungi.

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Main Results:

  • Tolumnia variegata associated with multiple fungal clades of Ceratobasidium, indicating a generalist strategy.
  • Ionopsis utricularioides primarily associated with a single Ceratobasidium clade, demonstrating specialization.
  • Seeds of T. variegata germinated well with fungi from both orchid species, while I. utricularioides seeds performed significantly better with their specific fungal isolates.
  • I. utricularioides exhibited faster germination and development compared to T. variegata.

Conclusions:

  • Tolumnia variegata functions as a generalist in its mycorrhizal associations.
  • Ionopsis utricularioides exhibits a more specialized relationship with a specific fungal clade, leading to more effective symbiosis.
  • The findings support theoretical trade-offs between specialized and generalized ecological interactions.