Tagged: monotropoid

monotropoid mycorrhizal fungi

#112: Monotropa uniflora, Ghost Plant, Indian Pipe, or Corpse Plant 0

#112: Monotropa uniflora, Ghost Plant, Indian Pipe, or Corpse Plant

On September 30, 1882, Emily Dickinson wrote the following in a letter to Mabel Loomis Todd: That without suspecting it you should send me the preferred flower of life, seems almost supernatural, and the sweet glee that I felt at meeting it, I could confide to none—I still cherish the clutch with which I bore it from the ground when a wondering child, an unearthly booty, and maturity only enhances mystery, never decreases it— The previous week, she had received a gift from Mabel Todd: a painting of Monotropa uniflora.  These ethereal plants happened to rank among Emily Dickinson’s favorite wildflowers, thus prompting the response above.  In the same letter, Dickinson gave Todd the poem “A Route of Evanescence” in return for the painting with a note explaining, “I cannot make an Indian Pipe but please accept a Humming Bird.”  Many people have likened the Ghost Plant to the reclusive...

#078: Evolution of Mycorrhizae 1

#078: Evolution of Mycorrhizae

Arbuscular mycorrhizae have been around since plants began to colonize the land and were probably instrumental in that transition. Ectomycorrhizae and ericaceous mycorrhizae evolved during the time of the dinosaurs and were successful because of their ability to extract organic nutrients from the well-defined soil.  Orchid mycorrhizae were the last to evolve.  This probably happened around the same time as mammal lineages started to diverge.  Despite the tens to hundreds of millions of years of symbiosis, coevolution does not appear to play a large role in the evolution of modern mycorrhizal partners.

#077: Ericaceous Mycorrhizae 0

#077: Ericaceous Mycorrhizae

Many plants in the order Ericales (which includes blueberries, rhododendrons, heaths, heathers, tea, and Brazil nut) form unique mycorrhizae. These plants are frequently found living in harsh conditions, like acidic or highly acidic soil.  Their aptitude for these types of habitats is likely due to their unique mycorrhizae.  There are actually three types of mycorrhizae formed by these plants: ericoid, arbutoid, and monotropoid.