From: George Mueller <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 15:53:45 -0800 (PST)

Hi,

Wennstrom is correct when he indicates and endophyte is an organism that 
lives with in another organism.  -Phyte does not refer to the "host".  The 
word translates as the plant within.  For equivalent usage consider 
dermatophyte which refers to fungi that live in the dead portions of hair, 
skin or nails.  

I suggest that the term be left to mean the PLANT growing within an other 
organism, even though the original usage refered to a plant growing with in
another plant. It is easy enouph to add a qualifier if that is necessary 
to suggest a mutalistic,  parasitic or pathogenic endophyte.

I would further suggest that since fungi are not plants a more 
appropriate term might be endomycote for those fungi that grow within 
other other organisms.  Leaving endophyte for those organisms more 
properly called plants.  Again I push for an unrestricted meaning (that 
is simply a fungus that grows within another organism) and suggest the use 
of a qualifing term for further explanation. 

Regards,

George J. Mueller
Dept. of Botany
University of Washington