Re: Intestinal flora of Heliamphora

From: Stefan P. Wolf (wolf@medinfo.uni-kiel.de)
Date: Wed Feb 18 1998 - 05:04:51 PST


Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 14:04:51 +0100
From: "Stefan P. Wolf" <wolf@medinfo.uni-kiel.de>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg646$foo@default>
Subject: Re: Intestinal flora of Heliamphora

Some kind of synopsis of "Intestinal flora of Heliamphora"

I wrote:

>> I have a nice H. minor and would like to know if it is able to
>> "eat" in culture. As it produces no digestive liquid but gets
>> help from bacteria living in the rain-water in it's pitchers I
>> wonder if and how these bacteria get into my plant. I fill the
>> pitchers with osmose water as that's all I have.

   From: lasseter@chemvx.chem.tamu.edu (Benjamin Lasseter)
   Message-ID: <l03020900b10fae5f374e@[165.91.50.255]>

> Regarding these bacteria, they live in symbiosis with the plant.
> On the average, there are about 100,000 per square inch of surface
> area inside the trap. You could not possibly get rid of them without
> killing the plant first, and even then I am not entirely sure the
> bacteria would go.

   I was curious how the bacteria get into the plant if it is grown
   in culture. I was told they are in the air and on the prey but I
   feared that it takes a certain (maybe rare) type of bacteria for
   the Heliamphora. I am more than happy if everything works fine
   without intervention.

> Filling the pitchers with distilled water certainly couldn't do
> it, nor should you particularly desire to try. After all, they
> do help the plants thrive!

   I only mentioned the reverse osmosis water to make sure I don't
   use rain water (with another possible source for bacteria).

   ###

   From: dave evans <T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU>
   Message-ID: <199802170413.UAA13121@hplms26.hpl.hp.com>

   [to Benjamin]

> I think he was asking how the pitchers are inoculated with the
> symbiotic bacteria. I'm writing because I'd like to know also.
> Where do TC plants get these bacteria from?

   Yes, that was my intended question.

> Are these bacteria only found on the tepuis inside the plants or
> are they widespread and happen to fall into a pitcher and then
> become symbiotes?

   Exactly my train of thought as I often found references to papers
   on special species of pitcher plant micro-organisms.

Thanks for all contributions!!!

Bye, Stefan

-- 
Dipl.-Inform. Stefan P. Wolf
.....................................................
Inst. f. Medizinische Informatik und Statistik (IMIS)
Klinikum der Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel
mail :  IMIS, Brunswiker Str. 10, 24105 Kiel, GERMANY
phone: (+49 431) 597-3173 --- fax: (+49 431) 597-3193
>>>>>>  http://www.uni-kiel.de:8080/medinfo/  <<<<<<<



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