Cordyceps unilateralis, showing Stroma

[Ken Ramos]

First off for those of you who have not seen this post in Macro, take a look at this link to it. It will give you a better understanding of what these images are all about. Cordyceps

That large round gall-like structure on what is the fruiting body, I am assuming, has got me curious. I went back to the books and the closest thing I can find so far relates back to myxomycetes and that is the formation of a sclerotium by the plasmodium when environmental conditons become unfavorable. As yet I have not ran across anything that would suggest that this is what this gall-like structure is but it does look somewhat similar to a sclerotium I think.



Here the structure is shown located between the center of the fruiting body and the tip. Earlier photographs I have taken show a swelling in and around this area but no growth such as this.



Here is a veiw from the backside, now it looks more like a gall on a pine tree limb Curious thing this is and the fungi itself. I have found that the ascomycota, of which Cordyceps is a member, account for a large percentage of the fungi and most are destructive in one form or another, yet some species are edible and have great value in the medical field. I read where some species of the ascomycota can consume jet fuel and even wall paint.



In parting, here is a shot of "Bubba" with algae growing on his butt. Yep he's been up there a long time folks. Let us not forget that the ascomycota is also a symbiont for algae, that forms the ever common lichen. Could Bubba here one day be lichenized? I don't think so, not anytime soon, seeing as how he is resting about as comfortably as he is going to get on my prep table.

Edit: A big thanks to Bruce Williams who researched the subject and found out that the growth is known as a Stroma and provided us with the correct nomenclature for the Cordyceps species. Thanks Bruce!

[MacroLuv]

Many sorts of life on that dead ant!

[Bruce Williams]

Some more fascinating photos Ken.

Here's a pic from Oregon State University showing a similar gall-like structure on a cordyceps growth. I came upon it via an isolated link but unfortunately was unable to navigate their website for further information:

http://spatafora.science.oregonstate.ed ... eralis.JPG

Bruce

[Ken Ramos]

Pretty sharp image there Bruce, thanks and thanks for providing the other link to the Japanese images. Not to sound like I am bragging but you would think that with all the fine optics Japan is putting out, they would be able to present far better images on their sites Well any way they provided me/us with a fine stereo microscope anyway .

So, now with your help we have a name for this thing, Cordyceps unilateralis and the gall like growth we now know is a Stroma. I will reflect the identification of the organism in the header Hey, thanks a bunch for your help there Bruce, the research goes on!

[beetleman]

The shots are wonderful, the info is creepy and all put together is pure great science. Thank you Ken & everyone else...fantastic reading. Ken, where is that Japanese link? I also came across this link when I looked up the word stroma
http://www.lifestreamgroup.com/Lifestream%20stroma.html

[Ken Ramos]

Bruce has the link Doug, I forgot to copy it but I may still have it if I have not dumped all my PM's. It is only a series of images taken by students or scientist at a Japanese University somewhere I am assuming and the image quality is quite poor. It amazes me that here in the US we are taking their products and pushing them to the limits and getting great results and they however do not seem to be doing so. Oh well, go figure

Anway, I too have ran across various Cordyceps advertisments for supplements. Some ascomycetes are benefical such as those used in brewing and baking, some like the Truffle and Morel fungi are prized edibles and also some are beneficail in the field of medicen where they are used to make antibiotics and organ rejection deternents for transplant patients.

[Ken Ramos]

Found out what the purpose of the stroma is, it gives rise to the fruiting body, some sort of connective tissue, essentially an afterbirth I would presume. I also found out that these fungi, the Ascomycetes are all haploid (1N) and are subject to mutation...yeah thats...right, mutation. The only time they become diploid is during the reproduction of the spore nuclei, at which time they become diploid (2N). But, that's not the end of it. Once the daughter nuclie are formed they are completely different from the parent nuclei and get this, they undergo reduction division, each of the daughter nuclei splitting once more and becoming haploid (1N) again. Thus opening up the door once more for possible mutation.

You know...(sigh) I would keep an eye on the back of your neck, just in case. Bye "sweet dreams."