Over the course of evolution, several plant lineages have found ways to obtain water, minerals, and carbohydrates from fungi. Some plants are able exploit fungi to such extent that they lose the need for photosynthesis. The ability of a plant to live on fungal carbon is known as mycoheterotrophy. This intriguing process has fascinated botanists for centuries, yet many aspects of mycoheterotrophy have remained elusive for a long time.
Mycoheterotrophic Flowering Plants explores the biology of mycoheterotrophs, offering general insights into their ecology, diversity, and evolution. Written by renowned experts in the field and bolstered with lavish illustrations and photographs, this volume provides a thematic overview of different aspects of mycoheterotrophy. Comprehensive and readily accessible, Mycoheterotrophic Flowering Plants is a valuable resource for researchers and students who are interested in the process of mycoheterotrophy.
1. Mycoheterotrophy: An introduction Vincent S. F. T. Merckx
2. Taxonomy and classification Vincent S. F. T. Merckx, John V. Freudenstein, Jonathan Kissling, Maarten J. M. Christenhusz, Raymond E. Stotler, Barbara Crandall-Stotler, Norman Wickett, Paula J. Rudall, Hiltje Maas-van de Kamer, and Paul J. M. Maas
3. Biogeography and conservation Vincent S. F. T. Merckx, Erik F. Smets, and Chelsea D. Specht
4. Subterranean morphology and mycorrhizal structures Stephan Imhof, Hugues B. Massicotte, Lewis H. Melville, and R. Larry Peterson
5. Evolution and diversification Vincent S.F.T. Merckx, Constantijn B. Mennes, Kabir G. Peay, and Jozsef Geml
6. Progress and prospects for the ecological genetics of mycoheterotrophs D. Lee Taylor, Craig F. Barrett, Gemma E. Beatty, Sarah E. Hopkins, Aaron H. Kennedy, and Matthew R. Klooster
7. Species interactions of mycoheterotrophic plants - specialization and its potential consequences Richard J. Waterman, Heiko Hentrich, Matthew R. Klooster, and Martin I. Bidartondo
8. The physiological ecology of mycoheterotrophy Nicole A.Hynson, Thomas Madsen, Marc-Andre Selosse, Iris K. U. Adam, Yuki Ogura-Tsujita, Melanie Roy, and Gerhard Gebauer
"This exceptional book provides detailed background information on plants that obtain their organic carbon from fungi [...] . Each well-written chapter is an in-depth study with an extensive list of current references. This superb resource provides a wonderful overview and detailed examination of mycoheterotrophs. [...] Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professional botanists and mycologists."
– K. M. Foos, Choice, Vol. 51 (2), October, 2013