Clonal colony
Iris germanica-note the rhizomatous
stems by which the plant reproduces.A clonal colony or genet is a group of
fruiting bodies or mushrooms that develop from a common mycelium which, although spread over a large area, is otherwise hidden in the soil. Clonal colonies are common in many plant species. Although many plants reproduce sexually through the production of seed, reproduction occurs by underground stolons or rhizomes
in some plants. Above ground, these plants most often appear to be distinct individuals, but underground they remain interconnected and are all clones of the same plant. However, it is not always easy to recognize a clonal colony especially if it spreads underground and is also sexually reproducing.
Methods of establishment
With most
dandelion.[citation needed
]
Record colonies
The only known natural example of
King's Lomatia (Lomatia tasmanica) found growing in the wild is a clonal colony in Tasmania estimated to be 43,600 years old.[1]
A group of 47,000
largest organism by mass, covering 106 acres (43 ha), and also as among the world's oldest living organisms, at an estimated 14,000 years old,[2] though a more recent publication suggests the colony may be 80,000 years old.[3] It is however possible that undiscovered clonal colonies of trees rival or exceed its size and/or age.[citation needed
]
Another possible candidate for
oldest organism on earth is an underwater meadow of the marine plant Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean Sea, which could be up to 100,000 years of age.[4]
Examples
When woody plants form clonal colonies, they often remain connected through the root system, sharing roots, water and
sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus).[citation needed
]
See also
References
- ^ "Tasmanian bush could be oldest living organism". Discovery Channel. Archived from the original on 2006-07-23. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
- S2CID 1425039.
- PMID 25123275.
- ^ "Ibiza's Monster Marine Plant". Ibiza Spotlight. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
- ISBN 978-0-8203-2524-8.
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clonal colony.
- Cook, R. E. (1983). "Clonal plant populations". Bibcode:1983AmSci..71..244C.
- Kricher, J. C., & Morrison, G. (1988). A Field Guide to Eastern Forests, pp. 19–20. Peterson Field Guide Series. ISBN 0-395-35346-7.