BIRD’S NEST FUNGI nidulariaceae
BASIC INFORMATION : birds nest fungi belong to the saphrophytic fungi family : the saprobic species of fungi feed on decomposing organic matter : nidulariaceae have a widespread distribution in most ecological regions : to date, there are 5 sub-species of nidulariaceae, which are distinguished from eather other by structural differences
PARASITIC STRUCTURES
THE 5 TYPES crucibulum
: identified by a light to tan peridium [body] that is comprised of a single layer of tissue
1
cyathus
: identified by a gray brown to dark brown perdium that is lined with bristles
2
mycocalia
: identified by a barrel to lens shaped peridium that stems from a living plant
3
nidula
: identified by cup or urn shaped peridium that are lined with up to 3 separate layers of tissue
4
nidularia
: identified by spiny, compacted peridium wall and noted for growing in large clusters
5
BIRD’S NEST FUNGI nidulariaceae
HABITATION + COLONIZATION : birds nest fungi are commonly found growing on decaying wood, enriched soils, bark mulch, animal dung and some living vegetation : nidulariaceae can grow at heights of 2146 m above sea level : can multiply asexully with spores or sexually with meiosis : obtain nutrients from dead organic matter : considered to have a positive impact on their environment
SPORE DISPERSION
: nidulariaceae disperse their spores differently in response to the various environments they inhabit : crucibulum are shaped with walls at a 75 degree angle to nadir, and use the kinetic energy of falling rain to free the spores that adhere to nearby plant matter : all other species adhere to the same basic principle, but those species with bristles can disperse additional spores
PARASITIC STRUCTURES INTERNAL STRUCTURE
: the “eggs” in the birds nest are formally called peridioles, and grow from nutrients obtained by the peridium : the peridioles contain the hapteron, which contain the spores or crystals that allow the fungi to spread and attach to other matter
BIRD’S NEST FUNGI nidulariaceae
CRYSTALS : birds nest fungi have been discovered to produce enzymes, or crystals, that are contained within the peridioles : generally, these crystals enable the species to colonize aggressively and quickly, without harm : to date, only the nidula + cyathus families are known to produce these chemical crystals
PARASITIC STRUCTURES
MOSS bryophyta
BASIC INFORMATION: : all mosses are classified as bryophytes, meaning they are non-vascular plants : there are over 12,000 species of mosses worldwide, but they can all be identified by clearly differentiated “stem” + “leaf” structure : moss can inhabit almost anything, and is nearly entirely self-reliant for reproduction
PARASITIC STRUCTURES
HABITATION + COLONIZATION
SPORE DISPERSION
: moss is entirely reliant on water to survive, and generally grows in areas where sunlight is scarce and water is plentiful : while not intrinsically harmful, moss often colonizes on living structures [trees, groundcover, etc.] and can cause rot or prevent the host structure from repelling water or absorbing sunlight
: moss spores fall constantly onto exposed surfaces : if the spores fall onto an area exposed to wind and rain, moss can overtake the area within years of cultivation : moss can also inhabit porous substances which are highly water retentive
MOSS bryophyta
MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE:
:the types of moss structure are consistent with the way in which the moss absorbs + process water via photosynthesis
PARASITIC STRUCTURES
dicranum scoparium
grimmia pulvinata
lecodon sciuroides
orhtotricum
orhtotricum
orhtotricum
thuidium tamariscinum
thuidium tamariscinum