19+ Symbiotic Fungi Examples: Detailed Facts Around It

Symbiosis fungi examples are an arrangement of living organisms between different species. Symbiosis can include mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.Fungi show symbiosis with living and non-living organisms. Common symbiotic fungi examples are- lichens, mycorrhiza, etc.

Let us look at symbiotic fungi examples below.

Symbiotic fungi examples

Symbiotic fungi are those fungi that live in an association with other organisms like- plants, animals, insects, bacteria, etc., to live or survive in the environment by taking up the nutrients from the other living organism or hosts. These symbiotic fungi examples show a different symbiotic relationship with organisms like mutualism, parasitism, etc.

In mutualism, both the organisms, i.e., fungi and host, live mutually without harming each other. As the name suggests, they are in a mutual relationship. If anyone got harmed or benefited, the other would also get the same results. In the case of parasitism, fungi will invade the body of other organisms and infect them by causing the disease to the host or any living organisms.

 Now, we will discuss symbiotic fungi examples in detail to understand more about them.

Polyporous squamosus

It is commonly known as dryad’s saddle or pheasant’s back mushroom. These species form shelflike fruiting bodies. It causes the decay of birch, timbers, conifer root, and root rot of rubber plants. It produces fan-shaped mushrooms.

Fistulina hepatica

It is commonly called beefsteak fungus. It is an edible species of fungus found in the autumn on oaks, and it causes stains on trees called brown oak. Because of its brown color, it is named brown oak.

symbiotic fungi examples
Symbiotic fungi examples from Pixabay

Polyporous sulphureus

It is commonly called a bracket fungus. It is commonly found in Europe and North America. It is known to be one of the largest fungi and edible fungi. It is also known as chicken of the woods.

Ganoderma applanatum

It is commonly known as the artist’s bracket, artist’s fungus, artist’s conk, or beer bread. They show parasitism to living trees.

Beard lichen

It belongs to the genus Usnea, usually yellow or green fruticose lichens. They have long stems and contain disk-shaped holdfasts that resemble the tangled masses of threads. Earlier, used in the treatment of cough, epilepsy, and dropsy.

British soldiers

The scientific name for this species is Cladonia cristatella.It belongs to lichen and contains red fruiting bodies. It is found to grow on the ground or in dead woods.

Dog lichen

The scientific name for dog lichen is Peltigera canina. It is a leafy lichen usually found on patches on grassy grounds, walls, or dunes. Earlier, it was used to treat rabies in European Middle Ages. It is most common Symbiotic fungi examples.

Iceland moss

It is a fruticose lichen that contains thallus in an upright position.It is found in the Northern Hemisphere’s alpine area and Iceland. It is a good source of glycerol and is usually used by various soap industries.

Orchid mycorrhiza

All orchids do not synthesize or can photosynthesize. These non-photosynthesis orchids depend on fungal organisms since they deprive sugars. The orchids act parasitic to fungus and invade its roots, and when reaching the seed coat, they rupture it and exchange their nutrition.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza

These are the most common type of mycorrhizae normally found on plants. They are known for having a high affinity toward phosphorous and nutrient uptake. This type of symbiotic fungi examples form arbuscules which become sites for nutrient exchange. The nutrients mainly include- phosphorous, carbon, and water. Most fungi in arbuscular mycorrhiza belong to the zygomata family and are obligate symbionts. 

Ericaceous mycorrhiza

It is commonly found on plants and can survive in an acidic environment. These symbiotic fungal examples penetrate roots, but they do not form arbuscules. They help in nutrient exchange like iron, manganese, and aluminum.

Arbutoid mycorrhiza

These type of symbiotic fungal examples comes under endomycorrhizal fungi. They form a sheath in the roots of the plant. It penetrates the cortical cells of plant roots.

Ectotrophic mycorrhiza

They take part in mycorrhizal symbiosis, and the fungi that take part in this association belong to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. They survive only in colder environments. They took nutrients and sugar from the roots of the living organism.

Laboulbeniomycetes

It is a fungus that shows parasitism to living organisms, especially insects. These fungi belong to the phylum Ascomycota. They invade the exoskeleton of insects, and symbiosis occurs. Insects that show symbiotic relationships mainly are arthropods which are associated obligately.

Septobasidium

This type of symbiotic fungi belongs to Basidiomycota. It is also known as entomopathogens. They are present under the branches and leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs. They are symbiotic fungal examples with scale insects.

Ericaceous mycorrhiza

They take part in mycorrhizal symbiosis, and the fungi that take part in this association belong to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. They survive only in colder environments. They took nutrients and sugar from the roots of the living organism.

Laboulbeniomycetes

It is a fungus that shows parasitism to living organisms, especially insects. These fungi belong to the phylum Ascomycota. They invade the exoskeleton of insects, and symbiosis occurs. Insects that show symbiotic relationships mainly are arthropods which are associated obligately.

Septobasidium

This type of symbiotic fungi belongs to Basidiomycota. It is also known as entomopathogens. They are present under the branches and leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs. They are symbiotic fungal examples with scale insects.

Chytrid

The fungi belongs to the phylum Chytridiomycota. It is an aerobic zoospore fungus. It shows a symbiotic relationship with amphibians causing the disease chytridiomycosis in an amphibian. They live either intracellularly or as an epibiotic parasite in the host’s body.

Rock tripe

It is a lichen that belongs to the genus umbilicaria, which soldiers use as a food source in the case of an emergency. It usually grows on the rocks. It lives in mutualism with fungus and algae.

Mildew

It consists of white hyphae and fruiting bodies. The hyphae are thread-like structures. 

Tree lungwort

The scientific name of tree lungwort is Lobaria pulmonaria.It is usually found in North America, Asia, and Europe. Its occurrence is limited to humid forested areas. It is symbiotic fungi examples since it has shown a symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacterium, a green alga.

Xanthoria parietina

It is commonly known as Sunburst lichen. It is a green leafy lichen found near the shore on rocks. Because of this characteristic feature, it is also called shore lichen. It can be used for treating jaundice disease.

Also Read: