What's this? A favorite question.

TPP's old friend Dr. Chips has a keen eye, something necessary when you look for bryophytes and lichens.  But often when you look closely and carefully, you'll see things you didn't expect and may not know.  In Dr. Chips case, this isn't often, but here we go.  Here's the images of what TPP received this morning from out west in Washington state.

This is actually a fairly common and cosmopolitan organism, but you have to notice it.  These are actually the reproductive structures, not the actual organism itself. When pink like this they have a sort of creamy center, and perhaps this is the origin of the common name "wolf's milk".  The organism is Lycogala epidendrum, and it's been a few years since TPP has seen it, but it is quite singular in its appearance.  The organism that makes these sporangia is a plasmodial slime mold (or mould for my proper readers). Dr. Chips knows what this means, but for others, this organism is a T. rex of the microbial world, a "giant" amoeboid blob consuming any microorganism in its path.  Under certain conditions the plasmodium transform from a mass of cytoplasm into sporangia, and usually only these reproductive structures are seen.  And this is why Dr. Chips contacts TPP; he IDelivers, mostly! 

Plant ID challenge

Here's a different sort of plant ID challenge for you. It's one that TPP has to deal with every now and then.  Some specimens re-surfaced that needed to be remounted on acid free paper (typical archival herbarium materials).  Now the specimens in question actually have been identified and TPP is fairly confident that all of these specimens are in the carrot/parsley family (old Umbelliferae, modern Apiaceae).  The trick here is to just figure out what species you have and to help you all out, the species name has been written down.  You only have to read it! The name may no longer be a valid species name because a lot of taxonomic water has gone under the bridge since this specimen was collected back in 1853.  Are you beginning to catch on. The names aren't so easy to read. And today's students can't even read or write cursive handwriting at all, so I'm counting on someone out there lending a hand because TPP hasn't gotten it yet.  There are only a couple three of these, so TPP will begin with one and see how it goes.  

 Yes, this specimen is something montanum L.  But what's the genus?  Any Parisiennes out there who know their botany?