Anaerobic Fungi...

["David Brayford ", IMI]

Plants parasitic upon fungi?
It depends how you define 'parasitism' and 'plants'.  The obvious examples 
are mycorrhizal relationships and the lichenised ascomycetes with algal 
partners.  These might be interpreted as mutualistic symbioses rather than 
parasitism, but the 'plant' clearly benefits from the fungus, which is kinda 
what you were asking.  Then, of course, there is the whole topic of 
endophytic fungi, which might help protect the plant from other parasites.
DaveB

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From: BIOSCI-REQUEST
To: mycology
Subject: Anaerobic Fungi...
Date: 20 March 1996 5:42

Much to my surprise, I recently read about the existence of fungi
which are obligate anaerobes. This has set me to wondering; Do
these fungi ever produce fruiting bodies or are they strictly
asexual?  Are they edible? Are they (like the leaf-cutter fungus)
the next, as of yet, undiscovered delicacy, waiting to be prized
by gourmets worldwide? Curious....?  Oh, also, there are many
cases of fungi parasitizing plants, but does the opposite ever
occur? Is there a parasitic plant that exists off of fungi?
I know that insectivorous plants utilize the chitin of insects as a
nitrogen source, and that's why I began wondering if any plants
utilize fungal chitin in a similar manner. Any thoughts?......