Molecular identification of root fungal associates in Orchis pauciflora Tenore.

The terrestrial orchid, Orchis pauciflora Ten., growing in poor grassland and garrigue of Central Mediterranean region, is local and rare and has been included in the red lists of several Italian regions. We investigated the diversity of fungal associates in O. pauciflora adult plants collected in two protected areas of Tuscany (Central Italy). Genomic DNA was extracted from mycorrhizal roots of 12 orchid plants and the fungal ITS were amplified and sequenced. Several fungal associates, belonging to different taxa of basidiomycetes (Tulasnellaceae) and ascomycetes such as Leptodontidium, Exophiala and Phialophora species, were recovered. The trophic role of these fungi and their impact on O. pauciflora growth and conservation are discussed.