Mycoheterotrophs are a group of distinctively weird vascular plants. And like most distinctively weird things, Andy MacKinnon finds them fascinating! Mycoheterotrophs lack chlorophyll, and the missing pigment has two important effects: these plants aren’t green (they’re usually white or pink), and they can’t manufacture their own food through photosynthesis. These odd plants derive their nutrition from fungi.

Many fungi are symbiotic in that they live in close association with another, often quite different, species. Truffle fungi are particularly intriguing because they live in symbiosis with not one but two quite different species. In this presentation, we will explore the life cycles of truffle fungi that are native to British Columbia as well as Mediterranean truffles that are being cultivated in the province. Searching for truffles is the ultimate forest-based treasure hunt and we will consider what tools and tricks we can use in our search for truffles.