BIOL 111 Lab's Journal

The pleated inkcap (Parasola plicatilis) can be placed in the Eukayota among the animals and fungi. It is further classified in the following phylogenetic order: Holomycota, Dikarya, Phyllum Basidomycota, Class Agaricomycetes, Order agaricales, Family Psathyrellaceae and Genus Parasola).

It is apparently a very short-lived grassland fungus that appears soon after a rain. The fruiting bodies grow; shed their spores and decay within a day (Parasola plicatilis. (n.d.). FirstNature. Retreived October 20, 2021, from https://www.first-nature.com/fungi/parasola-plicatilis.php).

Like many of the fungi observed, it is saphrophytic living on decaying organic material. It is generally considered inedible.

I chose to write about the Polyporus squamosus species of fungus, also referred to as the Dryad’s Saddle.
It is an edible mushroom that grows on hardwood trees. Its fruiting bodies toughen through time so it can be used as a spice during its early, 'tenderer' stage. The Polyporus squamosus mushroom could also be used for its medicinal properties such as antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory or antioxidative activities.

During Lab 5, I observed Trametes versicolor, "turkey tail." Polysaccharide-K (PSK) can be taken from T. versicolor and is being researched for potential medical uses. Inoculating the logs of invasive tree species with T. versicolor has also been investigated as a strategy for combating the takeover of native forests by nonnative species. For example, researchers at the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve in Texas found T. versicolor effective in decomposing invasive Ligustrum lucidum logs.

Lichens are one of the best examples of symbiosis where algal or cyanobacterial partners, the photobionts and fungal partners, the mycobionts demonstrate harmony for coexistence (Molnár and Farkas, 2010; Nayaka, 2014). The species Dirinaria is found across tropical regions and are moderately tolerant to air pollution. Lichens are most known for their ability to grow almost anywhere, from extreme conditions such as the Arctic and Antarctic, to tropical rainforests and even deserts. They are also potential candidates as biomarkers for air quality and other environmental changes.

Trametes versioclor, commonly known as the turkey tail fungus, has known properties to enhance immune responses. It is also known as the coriolus versicolor because of the color pattern similar to a turkey's tail. In fact, these mushrooms have been used to fight cancer as well. The practice of using turkey tail mushrooms for its anticancer practices is especially practiced in Asia. The turkey tail mushroom is high in antioxidants such as phenols which is why it is believed to have anticancer properties.

The Cerioporus squamosus, commonly known as Dryad’s Saddle, is a fungus—part of the phylum Basidiomycota, order of Polyporales, and family of Polyporaceae. These fungi live on tree trunks, stumps, and logs. Dryad’s Saddle can grow on dead wood or on live wood, which the fungi will break down. These bad boys usually sprout 2-3 fruiting bodies, and they love white aspen and boxelder trees. The fruiting body of Dryad’s Saddle is edible when it is still a young fung; however, as Dryad’s Saddle matures, the mushroom becomes tough and cork-like—eventually, it will become infested with maggots and other bugs and be completely inedible.

Fun Fact: The name “Dryad’s Saddle” comes from Greek mythology-- these mushrooms are so big and round that tree nymphs (aka Dryads) were said to have ridden on them
Funner Fact: The genus Cerioporus is relatively new! Many fungi that were part of Polyporus (including Dryad’s Saddle) were re-classified into the Cerioporus genus after recent ‘phylogenic examination.’

The Cerioporus squamosus, also known as Dryad’s Saddle and Polyporus squamosus, is a bracket fungus that produces a saddle-shaped mushroom. It is called Dryad’s Saddle because tree nymphs, from Greek mythology, were thought to sit and ride the mushroom through the forest. This fungus, like other Polyporales, decomposes trees and can be found on decaying and living deciduous trees. The Dryad’s saddle produces a heart rot in the wood of trees which results in the trunk of the tree to soften, weaken, and break more easily. The fruiting body of this fungus is edible and is used in cooking but only when it is young. As it matures, the mushroom becomes firm, tough, and rubbery. Within a few weeks, the fruiting body becomes infested with maggots and inedible.

Phylogeny placement of one species: The boxelder, commonly known as Manitoba maple, represents the species Acer negundo, which belongs to the family of Aceraceae, from the order of Sapindales. It is part of the Kingdom: Plantae, Clade: Tracheobionta, Division: Magnoliophyta, Class: Magnoliopsida, and Subclass: Rosidae.

Adaptation common to all observed species: I noticed that almost all of the observed species have thin stems because the plants saved energy in not growing strong wooden stems but rather rapidly long stems in order to expose their leaves to the sunlight.

Unique adaptation for one observation: The Conium maculatum (or poison hemlock) is the only plant that contains poisonous parts, among the observations. Poison is a mean of defense (against herbivores) for this species, which can hence adapt and survive in a variety of environments.

The blue spruce belongs to the Kingdom Plantea, Subkingdom Streptophyta (land plant) Division Tracheophyta (vascular plant), Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plant), genus Picea, Species pungens.

Specific observation: Blue spruces have needle like leaves as opposed to broad ones. Needles loose less water and have less wind resistance making the tree less likely to fall over in storms.

General observations: Most if not all the plants had green leaves reflecting the universal presence of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the light-absorbing pigment allowing plants to absorb light energy to power carbon fixation.

Phylogeny: The Norway Maple is in Kingdom: Plantae, Clade: Tracheophytes, Clade: Angiosperms, Clade: Eudicots, Clade: Rosids, Order: Sapindales, Family: Sapindaceae, Genus: Acer, Section: Platanoidea, Species: A. platanoides.

Unique adaptation: The Norway Maple has adapted so its roots grow near the soil surface. This lets it gather more nutrients and outcompete neighboring plants with their roots further down.

General adaptation: I noticed that many of the plants I observed had their leaves growing high up. This probably helps them get more sunlight, especially when many plants in an area are competing for the sunlight in that area.