▁developing ▁seed lings ▁and ▁the ▁roots ▁of ▁adult ▁plants . ▁The ▁formation ▁of ▁pel ot ons ▁in ▁root ▁cort ical ▁cells ▁is ▁a ▁defining ▁an atom ical ▁structure ▁in ▁orch id ▁my cor rh iza ▁that ▁differenti ate ▁it ▁from ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁fung i . ▁The ▁pel ot ons ▁can ▁range ▁in ▁size ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ar ra ignment ▁and ▁density ▁pack aging ▁of ▁their ▁hy pha e . ▁Pel ot ons ▁are ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁orch id ' s ▁cy top las m ▁by ▁an ▁inter fa cial ▁matrix ▁and ▁the ▁orch id ' s ▁pl asma ▁memb rane . ▁The ▁material ▁that ▁makes ▁up ▁the ▁inter fa cial ▁matrix ▁can ▁differ ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁orch id ▁my chor riz al ▁stage ▁of ▁interaction . ▁Or ch id ▁cells ▁with ▁deg ener ating ▁pel ot ons ▁lack ▁st arch ▁gra ins , ▁whereas ▁the ▁newly ▁inv aded ▁orch id ▁cells ▁contain ▁large ▁st arch ▁gra ins , ▁suggesting ▁the ▁hydro ly s is ▁of ▁st arch ▁resulting ▁from ▁the ▁fung al ▁colon ization . ▁There ▁is ▁an ▁en larg ement ▁of ▁the ▁nucle us ▁in ▁inf ected ▁orch id ▁cort ical ▁cells ▁and ▁in ▁non - in fect ed ▁cort ical ▁cells ▁near ▁an ▁inf ected ▁area ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁increased ▁DNA ▁content . ▁The ▁increased ▁DNA ▁content ▁has ▁been ▁correl ated ▁with ▁the ▁different iation ▁of ▁par en ch ym al ▁cells ▁suggesting ▁its ▁role ▁in ▁orch id ▁growth . ▁ ▁As ▁pel ot ons ▁of ▁live ▁fung al