Both endomycorrhiza and ectomycorrhiza have
the ability to be mycorrhizal fungi. In endomycorrhiza, the hyphae of the
fungus penetrate the outer cells of the plant root and extend into the
surrounding soil. In ectomycorrhiza, the hyphae surround but do not penetrate
the roots. Endomycorrhiza are much more common than ectomycorrhiza. The fungal
component of endomycorrhiza is a zygomycete. While only about thirty species of
zygomycetes are known to be involved in endomycorrhizal relationships, the
zygomycetes are associated with more than 200,000 species of plants.
Basidiomycetes are the most common fungal component of ectomycorrhiza, although
some ascomycetes also form ectomycorrhizal relationships. More species of fungi
are involved in ectomycorrhiza (at least 5,000), but most are only associated
with a single species of plant. Furthermore, the total number of plants
involved in ectomycorrhiza is limited to a few thousand.
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