Poster
Mycorrhizal specificity of the invasive orchid Oeceoclades maculata in Puerto Rico
Registro en:
Autor
Garriga, Rocío
Saladini, Carla
Timossini, Camille
Viera, Naida
Bayman, Paul
Institución
Resumen
The terrestrial orchid Oeceoclades maculata is found throughout Puerto Rico. Originally from Africa, it has been called the
most widespread orchid around the world. This success has been attributed to its tendency for self-pollination, but may also
be due to its relationship with mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizae contribute to plant success by absorbing nutrients and water
from the soil. The fungi invade the cells of the root and make globular structures known as pelotons which are digested by
the plant. To study this relationship and determine their level of specificity we focus on two techniques: identification of the
mycorrhizal fungi present in mature roots by DNA sequencing, and measuring success of seed germination with different
fungi. We asked: does O. maculata associate with a wide variety of mycorrhizal fungi or does it specialize? Does specificity
vary within stages in development? Low specificity would help the orchid colonize new areas because it would not depend
on a single group of fungi. High specificity could contribute to invasiveness if the fungal partner is very widely distributed.