1. a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a plant, in which the fungus helps the plant absorb water and nutrients from the soil
Usage: biology, botany; plural: mycorrhizae or mycorrhizas

Examples

• The mycorrhiza allows the plant to access nutrients that would otherwise be unavailable in poor soil.
• Many trees depend on mycorrhizal associations to thrive in forest ecosystems.
• Scientists study mycorrhiza to understand how fungi and plants cooperate underground.
• The fungal partner in a mycorrhiza receives sugars produced by the plant through photosynthesis.
• Mycorrhizal networks can connect multiple plants, allowing them to share resources.