endophyte

American  

[en-duh-fahyt] / ˈɛn dəˌfaɪt /

noun

Botany.

1. a plant living within another plant, usually as a parasite.

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endophyte British  

/ ˈɛndəʊˌfaɪt, ˌɛndəʊˈfɪtɪk /

noun

1. a fungus, or occasionally an alga or other organism, that lives within a plant

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Other Word Forms

• endophytic adjective
• endophytically adverb
• endophytous adjective

Etymology

Origin of endophyte

First recorded in 1825–35; endo- + -phyte

Example Sentences

The study 'A nucleoside signal generated by fungal endophyte regulates host cell death and promotes root colonization' was published in Cell Host & Microbe.

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2024

A LuxR homolog in a cottonwood tree endophyte that activates gene expression in response to a plant signal or specific peptides.

From Nature • Nov. 14, 2017

Slowly, the benefits of the endophyte and rhizoid interactions for both partners led to present-day mycorrhizae; up to about 90 percent of today’s vascular plants have associations with fungi in their rhizosphere.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

And the seed heads, which are thought to be the guilty party in harboring the endophyte, aren't produced nearly as much in the fall, which is the optimum time for stockpiling fescue.

From Time Magazine Archive

The endophyte found in the older Kentucky 31 fescue can cause serious damage to mares and foals.

From Time Magazine Archive