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The biggest organism on Earth
c.c.授權 姓名標示 Charl de Mille-Isles保留部分權利
Creative Commons Name tag: Charl de Mille-Isles (some rights reserved)
The largest organism on Earth had lived for about 2400 years and covers an area of 880 hectares. No other plant or animal is bigger. The Armillaria solidipes begins its life as a spore that could only be seen with a microscope. Its black shoestring-like rhizomorphs, or mycelial cords, would spread throughout the forest. For this organism, the rhizomorphs have been spreading for 2400 years. The fungus is pathogenic to trees and can kill them. Many scientists wanted to know more about them. There must be a reason for Armillaria to exist. The organism covers an area equivalent to 1665 American football fields. Nobody knows how heavy it weighed.
The largest organism on Earth had lived for about 2400 years and covers an area of 880 hectares. No other plant or animal is bigger. The Armillaria solidipes begins its life as a spore that could only be seen with a microscope. Its black shoestring-like rhizomorphs, or mycelial cords, would spread throughout the forest. For this organism, the rhizomorphs have been spreading for 2400 years. The fungus is pathogenic to trees and can kill them. Many scientists wanted to know more about them. There must be a reason for Armillaria to exist. The organism covers an area equivalent to 1665 American football fields. Nobody knows how heavy it weighed.
What is Armillaria solidipes?
The fungus is a basidiomycota of the order agaricales. Its sporocarp is medium-sized. The fungal cap measures 4-14 cm in diameter and can be pale muddy yellow, honey yellow to light brown in color. The cap would darken with age to become a brownish color, and would have small upright or flat scales in the center. Sometimes the caps are smooth with stripes along its edges. The fungal tissue are white in color. The gills are white with flesh pink tinges. Dark brown spots would appear when it matures. The columnar stipes are long and slender, and have a slight bend. It has a similar coloration with the mushroom cap and is fibrous. The center of the stipe is soft and could be hollow. Its base is slightly swollen. The white annulus is located at the upper portion of the stipe. The annulus is dual layered in early stages of mushroom development and has a soft texture. It would become butter colored in later stages of development. The fungus grows along the base and roots of many conifers or broad leaf trees, or in clumps on fallen logs. It is edible and has a fragrant aroma when dried. However, the fungus has a slightly bitter taste and must be processed before eating. It is found in large quantities in coniferous forests.