יומן של Plants of Mont Royal, Montreal

אוקטובר 14, 2021

Fungi Bioblitz- White Dapperling

The White Dapperling mushroom is commonly found throughout mainland Europe, as well as parts of North America. The species tends to be localized, thus they can be found in large groups spread across fields. In 1835, Carlos Vittadini first described the mushroom, giving it the scientific name Agaricus leucothites. However, the name was later transferred to Leucoagaricus leucothites by Solomon P Wasser. Although the species is labelled slightly poisonous by some authorities, the mushroom is still considered edible.

Leucoagaricus leucothites (Vittad.) Wasser - White Dapperling. Leucoagaricus leucothites, White Dapperling mushroom. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/leucoagaricus-leucothites.php.

הועלה ב-אוקטובר 14, 2021 01:22 אחה"צ על ידי vanessaroy359 vanessaroy359 | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

אוקטובר 13, 2021

Dryad's saddle (Cerioporus squamosus)

During the fungi bioblitz, I found a Cerioporus squamosus, more commonly known as the dryad's saddle. The species' unusual name comes from its flat and wide shape, resembling a saddle which might be used by a dryad, a forest nymph from Greek mythology (Young). It can grow as a saprophyte on fallen logs or parasitically on a wide range of living tree species (Young). The visible, shelf-like part of the fungus disperses white spores through numerous pores on its bottom side (Young). Fresh dryad's saddle mushrooms are edible and are said to release a scent similar to watermelon rind when cut (Young). They are known to cause heart rot in trees, which leads to decay in the centre of trunks and branches (Young).

Works Cited
Young, Curtis E. “From Woodlots to Landscapes: The Impressive Dryad's Saddle Polypore Fungus.” BYGL, The Ohio State University, 24 May 2019, https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1279.

הועלה ב-אוקטובר 13, 2021 07:29 אחה"צ על ידי lucaalexandru lucaalexandru | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 23, 2021

Pale jewelweed (Impatiens pallida) on Mont Royal

During the lab 2 Bioblitz, I discovered a pale jewelweed at the foot of Mont Royal. Impatiens pallida, also known as the yellow jewelweed or yellow touch-me-not, belongs to the order Ericales which includes a wide range of well-known plants such as blueberry, kiwi, tea, and pitcher plants. More specifically, it is part of the balsam family comprised of its own genus, the touch-me-nots (Impatiens), and the marsh henna (Hydrocera triflora). Its closest relatives are Impatiens craddockii and Impatiens caleangensis (OneZoom Team, 2021). The yellow touch-me-not and other impatiens owe their peculiar common name to their seed capsules which burst open at the slightest touch. This seed dispersal mechanism ensures that at least a few seeds will land in places conducive to germination for the following spring (TWC Staff, 2014).

Although the plants I observed varied a lot in size and appearance, they all grew from and produce seeds capable of surviving the harsh winters of Montreal, allowing them to remain in the area for generations. The seeds are equipped with abscisic acid (ABA) which acts on genes within the seed's cells. ABA triggers the production of "chaperone proteins," special proteins that prevent cell membrane damage in extreme drought or cold. It also moderates cell metabolism thereby minimizing the amount of nutrients required by the seed over winter (Farnsworth, 2017).

Farnsworth, Elizabeth. “Earth Matters: How Seeds Survive the Winter.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, Concord
Monitor, 20 Oct. 2017, www.gazettenet.com/earth-matters-13197068.

OneZoom Team. “Text Page for Pale Snapweed.” Onezoom Tree of Life Explorer, OneZoom, 2021, www.onezoom.org/life/@Impatiens_pallida=402517?img=best_any&anim=flight#x851,y42,w0.8583.

TWC Staff. “Impatiens Pallida (Pale Touch-Me-Not) | Native Plants of North America.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center | The University of Texas at Austin, 20 Aug. 2014, www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=IMPA.

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 23, 2021 12:09 לפנה"צ על ידי lucaalexandru lucaalexandru | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 20, 2021

Burdocks on Mont-Royal.

During lab 2, I observed the burdock plant on Mont-Royal. The burdock belongs to the plantae kingdom, the asterales order, the asteraceae family, the carduoideae subfamily, the cynareae tribe, and the arctium genus (Arctium). One special adaptation of the burdock is the hooked tips of the phyllaries that make up the involucre are an adaptation for seed dispersal (Byrd). Although the different species i observed on Mont-Royal vary a lot in their traits, most of the plants share the adaptation of having shallow roots that aid in capturing nutrients from the top soil level (Plant Adaptations).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium
https://www.wildernesscollege.com/burdock.html
https://www.thinktrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Plant-Adaptations.pdf

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 20, 2021 01:44 לפנה"צ על ידי vanessaroy359 vanessaroy359 | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

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