365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Monday, July 9, 2018
Mycorrhizal Associations
Day 269: While exploring a new trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest yesterday, I came across several very dense pockets of Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora). After a little hunting, I found its mycoheterotrophic ally, a species of Russula. Mycoheterotrophic plants depend on a fungal component in the soil to break down nutrients into a form they can utilize. Some mycoheterotrophic species are more selective than others and may ally with only one or two fungal species while others are content to partner with an entire family of fungi. This is one factor to consider when searching for mycoheterotrophic plants: "Fyrst finde ye an fungus..."
Labels:
Indian Pipe,
Monotropa uniflora,
mycoheterotrophy,
Russula,
Woods Creek
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