▁of ▁carbon ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁plant ▁when ▁the ▁fung al ▁pel ot ons ▁deg rade ▁and ▁are ▁dig ested . ▁ ▁My c oph agy ▁( ne c rot ro phy ) ▁ ▁The ▁transfer ▁of ▁nit ro gen ▁and ▁carbon ▁as ▁discussed ▁above ▁readily ▁occurs ▁through ▁live ▁pel ot ons , ▁but ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁observed ▁by ▁K uga ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁and ▁Ras um ussen ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁that ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁carbon ▁and ▁nit ro gen ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁taken ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁plant ▁during ▁the ▁sen esc ence ▁and ▁dig estion ▁of ▁fung al ▁pel ot ons . ▁This ▁process ▁is ▁called ▁my c oph agy . ▁L ysis ▁of ▁pel ot ons ▁begins ▁between ▁ 3 0 ▁and ▁ 4 0 ▁hours ▁after ▁contact ▁and ▁initial ▁pel ot on ▁formation ▁within ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁observed ▁orch id ▁plants . ▁As ▁mentioned ▁above ▁as ▁pel ot ons ▁are ▁formed ▁they ▁are ▁covered ▁by ▁a ▁plant ▁derived ▁memb rane , ▁which ▁eventually ▁takes ▁on ▁the ▁properties ▁of ▁end op las mic ▁ret icul um ▁surrounded ▁by ▁Gol gi ▁appar atus es . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁these ▁organ elles ▁is ▁indic ative ▁of ▁their ▁purpose , ▁which ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁ex cret ion ▁of ▁dig est ive ▁en zym es ▁into ▁the ▁inter f icial ▁space ▁between ▁the ▁pel ot on ▁and ▁the ▁plant ▁memb rane ▁to ▁dig est ▁the ▁fung al ▁cells . ▁Once ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁the ▁pel ot on