Oldest fungus?

[CaptainMaxMushroom at webcity.ca]

I think the aspen thing may have been proven, I  think I read  it
somewhere's reliable.



On 21 Sep 2000 07:35:58 +0100, truffler1635 at my-deja.com wrote:

>In article <39c97d7f.2874664 at news.uniserve.com>,
>  CaptainMaxMushroom at webcity.ca wrote:
>> Actually, I believe the largest living organism is the aspen?  in
>> norhtern Canada. They all grow off the same mother root over hundreds
>> of square miles.
>>
>The largest currently _confirmed_ single organism is an Armillariella
>ostoyae found near Prairie City, OR, encompassing some 113 acres.
>
>While there has been _supposition_ that larger groves of aspen exist (as
>well as several other trees species which frequently spread by root
>scions) the only confirmed by DNA research species is the fungus.
>
>And even that _may be_ inaccurate. I have heard of a fairy-ring of
>Armillaria oystoyae near Crater Lake which is _much_ larger. But DNA
>confirmation has not yet been done.
>
>The problem with assessing either aspen, cottonwood or fungus is that all
>can spread by many mechanisms (spore/seed, root/mycelium, cutting/
>mycelial transference). All these organisms are also widespread and
>common. The only _known_ way to confirm they are part of the same
>organism, however, is through DNA testing.
>
>The future may prove that giant fairy rings of Marasmius oreades in the
>Mid-west over 100-miles across are both the largest organisms and the
>oldest organisms. However, given the ubiquitousness of this species,
>identification of precise portions of the fairy-rings involves, vs
>smaller fairy-rings of the same fungus growing inside of them, is very
>problematic.
>
>Daniel B. Wheeler
>www.oregonwhitetruffles.com
>
>> On 19 Sep 2000 18:34:01 +0100, rushwayne at aol.com (RushWayne) wrote:
>>
>> >We have all read about the fungi that are single
>> >organisms and have spread over vast tracts of
>> >land, vying for the title of largest living
>> >organism.  I'm wondering if anyone has an estimate
>> >of how old these giant organisms must be to have
>> >spread over so much territory.  Perhaps they are
>> >among the oldest living organisms, in addition to
>> >the largest. This information in turn might have
>> >some bearing on the issue of fungal senescence.
>> >--Rush
>> >http://www.mycomasters.com/
>> >"Growing Mushrooms with Hydrogen Peroxide"
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Visit Captain Max's Den and read about Canada's mushroom parks!
>> http://members.xoom.com/maxsden/
>>
>>
>
>
>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.
>
>

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