▁bas idi om yc ete ▁fung i ▁and ▁all ▁Or ch id aceae ▁species . ▁The ▁bas idi om yc ete ▁fung i ▁most ▁commonly ▁found ▁associated ▁with ▁orch ids , ▁rh izo ct onia , ▁are ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁sap roph yt ic ▁ab ilities ▁making ▁this ▁fung i ▁orch id ▁association ▁anom alous , ▁allowing ▁both ▁the ▁plant ▁and ▁fung i ▁to ▁access ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁carbon ▁within ▁the ▁my cor rh iz al ▁association ▁not ▁available ▁in ▁ar bus cular ▁my cor rh iza . ▁The ▁way ▁and ▁degree ▁to ▁which ▁different ▁orch id ▁species ▁explo it ▁these ▁interactions ▁var ies . ▁Or ch id ▁my cor rh iz al ▁interactions ▁can ▁range ▁from ▁wh olly ▁par as it ic ▁on ▁the ▁fung al ▁partner , ▁to ▁a ▁mut ual istic ▁interaction ▁involving ▁bid irection al ▁nut ri ent ▁transfer ▁between ▁the ▁plant ▁and ▁my cor rh iz al ▁fung us . ▁Or ch id ▁plants ▁have ▁an ▁oblig atory ▁par as it ic ▁life ▁stage ▁at ▁germ ination ▁where ▁all ▁of ▁their ▁nut ri ents ▁must ▁be ▁supplied ▁by ▁a ▁fung us . ▁After ▁germ ination , ▁the ▁orch id ▁my cor rh iz al ▁interactions ▁will ▁become ▁special ized ▁to ▁util ize ▁the ▁carbon ▁and ▁nut ri ents ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁environment ▁surrounding ▁the ▁interaction . ▁These ▁associations ▁are ▁often ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁dict ated ▁by ▁the ▁plant . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁indicated ▁in ▁past ▁studies ▁that ▁orch id ▁plant ▁individuals ▁which ▁inhab it ▁dense ▁highly ▁sh aded