Climate change, unregulated commercial collections, and poor natural regeneration have adversely affected habitats and natural populations
of charismatic orchids which have complex life strategies. Mycorrhizal fungi are obligatory for the growth and development of orchids as
these are associated with stimulating seed germination, protocorm development, and seedling growth in vivo. In the present study, fungal
isolate was recovered from root sample of a terrestrial orchid, Oreorchis indica (Lindl.) Hook.f. and was identified based on micromorphological
features and molecular characteristics [sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA]. The
slow growing isolated fungus showed barrel shaped moniloid cells and ITS sequence of isolate (accession number OP467009) possesed
92.24% similarity with Tulasnella spp. (Basidiomycetes) in NCBI mega BLAST search. These mycorrhizal interactions have a referential
value to be utilized in symbiotic seed germination experiments and thus protecting rare and endemic orchid plants. This is the first report
of fungal endophyte (Tulasnella spp.) isolation and identification through morpho-molecular techniques in Oreorchis indica from India.
Mature micro-seeds procured from the dehisced capsules (12 WAP) were also evaluated for in vitro germination potential under both
symbiotic and asymbiotic environment. The germinating entities failed to exhibit any response, either symbiotically or asymbiotically,
despite repeated subculturing on fresh media even after four months of inoculation, indicating thereby that either the isolated fungus was
incompatible or the nutrient medium and culture conditions were not suitable. Therefore, our findings suggest that orchids may require
different fungal partners during symbiotic germination of seeds and seedling development.