Orchid mycorrhiza allowed for the identification of specific taxa forming symbiotic relationships which are of interest in the study, cultivation, and conservation of orchids. This is especially important in the trade and preservation endangered species or orchids of commercial value like the vanilla bean. There have been seen trends in the type of symbioses found in orchids, depending primarily on the life-style of the orchid, as the symbiosis is primarily of benefit to the plant. Terrestrial orchids have been found to commonly associate with Tulasnellaceae, however some autotrophic and non-autotrophic orchids do associate with several ectomycorrhizal fungi. Epiphytic fungi, however, may associate
Orchid mycorrhiza roots happens mainly through root hair tips, which then take on a distorted shape. Typically, the partnership is maintained throughout the lifetime of the orchid because they depend on the fungus for nutrients including minerals. However, some orchids have been found to switch fungal partners during extreme conditions. Shortly after the fungus enters an orchid, the fungus produces intracellular hyphal coils, called pelotons, in the embryos of developing seedlings and the roots of adult plants. The formation of pelotons in root cortical cells is a defining anatomical structure in orchid mycorrhiza that differentiate it from other forms of mycorrhiza. The