ABSTRACT

Elizabeth Lewis Roberts and Christopher Mark Adamchek

8.1 INTRODUCTION

Endophytic clavicipitalean fungi (Ascomycota, Hypocreales) are well known for their ability to increase ›tness in their C3 grass hosts (Poaceae). This relationship is de›ned by the presence of asymptomatic hyphae that are mostly observed in the intercellular spaces of the aboveground tissues of the host plant. The endophytic fungus attains a constant source of carbohydrates from the plant, and, in turn, it produces secondary metabolites, which have been attributed to decreasing susceptibility of the host plant to abiotic stresses (Clay 1990; Malinowski and Belesky 2000; Schardl et al. 2004; Kuldau et al. 2008).