Symbioses between plant roots and fungi.
The term mycorrhiza was coined by B. Frank in 1885. The oldest form dates back to the ordovician period, the earliest phase of the colonization of main land by plants. Various forms of the symbiosis developed independently from each other during the subsequent evolution of plants. Today, more than 80% of all land plants are participating in mycorrhizal symbioses. In general, the symbiotic fungi provide mineral nutrients to the plants and obtain in exchange carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis.