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Index of Subjects ---2114655128-84576022-1346965001=:76809 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Interesting Dave the effects of the extra rain on plant cells.=0AReminds me= of when my Father grew potatoes when we were young.=0AA heavy rain this ti= me of year would result in potatoes with hollow centers=0Awhich of course w= ere only good for livestock feed. An expensive way to=0Afeed pigs!=0AAnyway= one year the Scientists at the Department of Agriculture introduced a new= =0Avariety - name long since forgotten. We lived on a relatively isolated i= sland=0Awhich was good for growing seed spuds. So my father was allocated e= nough seed=0Afor 4 acres. They grew beautifully but it was a summer like th= is. A big rain early Sept=0Aand the tubers then grew like there was no tomo= rrow. =A0Everybody was delighted until we=0Aharvested them. If there was a = solid potato in the lot we never found it! The old standards=0Awere fine - = needless to say no new varieties for him from then on!=0ANow I know the rea= son why.=0AHave a nice late summer=0APaul=0A=0A=0A=0A______________________= __________=0A From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>=0ATo: Natur= eNS@chebucto.ns.ca =0ASent: Thursday, September 6, 2012 4:21:54 PM=0ASubjec= t: [NatureNS] dog tick, rain, spongy mesophyll & Psythyrella=0A =0ADear All= ,=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Sept 6, 2012=0A=A0 Have been to t= he North Alton woodlot 55 times since Mar 20, to cut, split or pile wood, m= aintain roads, etc. and have seen ticks only twice; one in late April or ea= rly May (no record) and one Sept 4.=0A=0A=A0 The ample rain of Sept 5 (90 = mm on my unofficial raingauge) lowered the branch tips on the Norway Maple = by up to 5'. I have seen this (or equivalent) many times but it suddenly cl= icked that water content of leaves must have increased substantially.=0A=0A= =A0 My 1st year Botany text (Holman & Robbins, 1939) tied the large interc= ellular spaces of spongy parenchyma to CO2 movement; Where stomata are spar= se or absent on the upper epidermis of leaves "...the supply of carbon diox= ide to the palisade cells during periods of active photosynthesis would be = insufficient were it not for the loose nature of the spongy parenchyma." On= e must wonder why a very porous layer would be needed for gas transfer with= in the leaf if a few widely spaced slits on the lower eperdermis suffice.= =0A=0A=A0 On the other and, the open structure of the spongy parenchyma of= leaves would be well suited to capture of rain, mist or fog water and or s= torage of water during periods of low moisture stress without tissue ruptur= e or distortion. Closely packed or closely spaced cells would not be able t= o change much in size without causing tissue distortion as in split Tomato = fruit or curled Corn leaves (there is a Plant Morphology term for distribut= ion of cell enlargement that avoids tissue distortion but it escapes me).= =0A=0A=A0 A small patch of Psythyrella condolleana sprouted on the lawn to= day, probably primed by the earlier rains and given a final push by yesterd= ay's rains.=0A=0AYt, Dave Webster, Kentville ---2114655128-84576022-1346965001=:76809 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:ti= mes new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Interestin= g Dave the effects of the extra rain on plant cells.</span></div><div style= =3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', '= new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;= "><span>Reminds me of when my Father grew potatoes when we were young.</sp= an></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: '= times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; = font-style: normal; "><span>A heavy rain this time of year would result in = potatoes with hollow centers</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);= font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;= background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span>which of course= were only good for livestock feed. An expensive way to</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new rom= an', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: n= ormal; "><span>feed pigs!</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); fo= nt-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; ba= ckground-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span>Anyway one year th= e Scientists at the Department of Agriculture introduced a new</span></div>= <div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new= roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-styl= e: normal; "><span>variety - name long since forgotten. We lived on a relat= ively isolated island</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-s= ize: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; backgr= ound-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span>which was good for gro= wing seed spuds. So my father was allocated enough seed</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new rom= an', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: n= ormal; "><span>for 4 acres. They grew beautifully but it was a summer like = this. A big rain early Sept</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); = font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; = background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span>and the tubers t= hen grew like there was no tomorrow. Everybody was delighted until we= </span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-famil= y: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transpare= nt; font-style: normal; "><span>harvested them. If there was a solid potato= in the lot we never found it! The old standards</span></div><div style=3D"= color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new = york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span>were fine - needless to say no new varieties for him from then on!= </span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-famil= y: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transpare= nt; font-style: normal; "><span>Now I know the reason why.</span></div><div= style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new rom= an', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: n= ormal; "><span>Have a nice late summer</span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb= (0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', tim= es, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span>Paul<= /span></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family= : 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; background-color: transparen= t; font-style: normal; "><span><br></span></div><div><br></div> <div style= =3D"font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12= pt; "> <div style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;= font-size: 12pt; "> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"> <hr= size=3D"1"> <b><span style=3D"font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> David &= amp; Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com><br> <b><span style=3D"font-w= eight: bold;">To:</span></b> NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca <br> <b><span style=3D= "font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, September 6, 2012 4:21:54 P= M<br> <b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [NatureNS] = dog tick, rain, spongy mesophyll & Psythyrella<br> </font> </div> <br>D= ear All, &nbs= p; Sept 6, 2012<br> Have been to the North Alton woodlot 55 times si= nce Mar 20, to cut, split or pile wood, maintain roads, etc. and have seen = ticks only twice; one in late April or early May (no record) and one Sept 4= .<br><br> The ample rain of Sept 5 (90 mm on my unofficial raingauge= ) lowered the branch tips on the Norway Maple by up to 5'. I have seen this (or equi= valent) many times but it suddenly clicked that water content of leaves mus= t have increased substantially.<br><br> My 1st year Botany text (Hol= man & Robbins, 1939) tied the large intercellular spaces of spongy pare= nchyma to CO2 movement; Where stomata are sparse or absent on the upper epi= dermis of leaves "...the supply of carbon dioxide to the palisade cells dur= ing periods of active photosynthesis would be insufficient were it not for = the loose nature of the spongy parenchyma." One must wonder why a very poro= us layer would be needed for gas transfer within the leaf if a few widely s= paced slits on the lower eperdermis suffice.<br><br> On the other an= d, the open structure of the spongy parenchyma of leaves would be well suit= ed to capture of rain, mist or fog water and or storage of water during per= iods of low moisture stress without tissue rupture or distortion. Closely packed or closely spaced cells would not be able to change much in= size without causing tissue distortion as in split Tomato fruit or curled = Corn leaves (there is a Plant Morphology term for distribution of cell enla= rgement that avoids tissue distortion but it escapes me).<br><br> A = small patch of Psythyrella condolleana sprouted on the lawn today, probably= primed by the earlier rains and given a final push by yesterday's rains.<b= r><br>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville <br><br><br> </div> </div> </div></body>= </html> ---2114655128-84576022-1346965001=:76809--
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