[NatureNS] dog tick, rain, spongy mesophyll & Psythyrella

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Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2012 13:56:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul MacDonald <paulrita2001@yahoo.com>
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---2114655128-84576022-1346965001=:76809
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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 
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<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. &nbsp;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 &lt;dwebster@glinx.com&gt;<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 &amp; Psythyrella<br> </font> </div> <br>D=
ear All,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbs=
p; Sept 6, 2012<br>&nbsp;  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>&nbsp;  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>&nbsp;  My 1st year Botany text (Hol=
man &amp; 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>&nbsp;  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>&nbsp;  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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