The sweetness of tomatoes, the aromatic qualities of basil, and the properties of the essential oil in mint have all been shown to change depending on the species of fungi the plant grows with. The concentrations of medicinal compounds in echinacea, the aromatics in patchouli, and the antioxidant power of artichoke heads have all been found to increase with the presence of certain fungal associates too. The list goes on and on. Where a plant ends and a fungi begins becomes hard to parse. In fact it seems hardly a stretch to ask whether a plant is itself without fungi.
