Re: Carnivorous fungi

From: Demetrio Lamzaki (Dee_Lamzaki@msn.com)
Date: Sat Feb 08 1997 - 14:28:09 PST


Date: Sat, 8 Feb 97 22:28:09 UT
From: "Demetrio Lamzaki" <Dee_Lamzaki@msn.com>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg525$foo@default>
Subject: Re: Carnivorous fungi


>I just learned of the existence of carnivorous fungi from a
>colleague at work. This really blew me away. I don't recall
>reading about this in any books on CPs (granted, most of
>us are primarily interested in flowering CPs; or maybe I just
>skipped over that part), and thought it might be new to others
>on this list too. My apologies if this is an old and beat-to-death
>topic.

No need to apologize Ted, every topic brings new information to at least
one person on the list, we haven't yet banned discussions on venus flytraps
so I doubt you have much to worry about regarding mentioning carnivorous
fungi! :-)

There have been documentaries that touch on CF, with some great
microphotography showing them catching their prey, and I myself have
witnessed them feeding on nematodes under a microscope, fascinating
stuff. This was a few years back. I poured the diluted agar culture
onto the soil of various plants I had at the time as well as on the
moistened peat I used in potting, so there's an excellent chance I still
have it "under cultivation" in my collection although I've never bothered
to put it on any growlist!

For anyone interested in growing your own culture of CF, Arthrobotrys
conoides is available from Carolina Biological Supply. There is an
actual color photograph of a nematode caught by the fungus in the
catalog, as well as a cartoon of Arthrobotrys dressed as a cowboy
roping in the bucking bronco nematodes, only in America! :-)

Regards,

Demetrios



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