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Ericoid mycorrhiza
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<p>The ericoid mycorrhiza is a <a href="/facts/Mutualism_(biology)/29hCDDS2">mutualistic</a> relationship formed between members of the plant family <a href="/facts/Ericaceae/fthVmp8G">Ericaceae</a> and several lineages of <a href="/facts/Mycorrhizal/bAqxvRwm">mycorrhizal</a> fungi. This <a href="/facts/Symbiosis/MrBArRGa">symbiosis</a> represents an important adaptation to acidic and nutrient poor soils that species in the Ericaceae typically inhabit, including <a href="/facts/Boreal_forest/xjkPQRJs">boreal forests</a>, <a href="/facts/Bog/LuPbb2qV">bogs</a>, and <a href="/facts/Heathland/Eu3P8zbP">heathlands</a>. Molecular clock estimates suggest that the symbiosis originated approximately 140 million years ago. </p>