[Bacteria associated with the roots of epiphytic orchids]

This work is the first to report the isolation and identification of bacteria colonizing the roots of tropical epiphytic orchids Acampe papillosa (Lindl.) Lindl. and Dendrobium moschatum (Buch.-Ham.) Swartz. and bacteria inhabiting inner layers of the aerial and substrate roots of A. papillosa. We showed by the example of this epiphyte that associative bacteria are present in large amounts on the aerial but not substrate roots. We isolated and identified bacteria from the substrate roots of D. moschatum and from its growth substrate (pine bark). The structure of the intercellular matrix of the associative bacteria was studied.