Add parasites to catagories or other info?

When I was working on the challenge I noticed several were parasites.No where to list but comments.Thanks,Jody

I agree with JodyC that parasite would be a useful addition to the categories and I would like to reiterate the need for a category for epiphytes, marking these as climbers is completely inappropriate while a large number of plants, especially ferns and orchids fall in this category.

I agree with this, too. What do you think, Terry?

Dave

This message was edited Jan 28, 2005 8:22 AM

I agree that it's helpful information, but (you knew there was a but)....I also know it's going to take some editor time to go back and add this designation to the appropriate plants - most of the plants affected won't be edit-able by the general public. And right now with the challenge, our editors are doing all they can to keep up with the error reports; I don't think in fairness to them we can ask them to take it on right now.

And before this open the floodgates to "ooooh, can we add other characteristics, too?" let me remind us all that when we add checkboxes, we need to consider how many people are going to search for plants by the attribute or characteristic being proposed. If the answer is "not many", then it may be something better suited to a comment.

Terry
(who is obviously suffering from caffeine-deprivation-induced curmudgeonliness this morning ;o)

Get a cup of coffee Terry before you fall apart.I'll just add them to comments.Jody

I would think it was still worth adding even if the existing records are not updated. It isn't as if all the correct categories are filled in for all plants as it stands. I would be prepared to go back over all the plants that I have entered and add parasite or epiphyte where appropriate
Ken

Ken, that's a good point. We most certainly can add these and they will be accessible for new entries, or for those that have not had any other categories marked off.

However (and this is a big however), currently we don't have the ability to let everyone edit a series of checkboxes that has been "set" by another user. So for those plants that have a category checked off, it will take an editor's access to go back and fix them. Perhaps if you could put together a list of genera (or families) that should be designated as epiphytic or parasitic, that would help us when we have some time to return to the existing entries?

Great idea.

That is great, I see that the two new categories are in place. I have made a start by adding 'parasite' to the mistletoes that I have added, but there are others thatI cannot modify. All the seven plants in Plantfiles from the family Viscaceae are definitely parasites, that is all these could usefully have parasite added to their categories: http://davesgarden.com/pf/search.php?search_text=Viscaceae
There is also one in the Loranthaceae that I cannot amend, that is the West Australian Christmas Tree http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/80417/index.html which is a root parasite.
I will make a start on the epiphytes before long,
Ken

Would the parasite option still stand for hemi-parasitic plants?

Wow that was fast! I just listed those parasites that I could not modify and then completed modifying the other parasites that I had entered. Did a search to see what parasites would be found and all were there, including those I listed above. Who did that, was it you Debby?
I did wonder about the hemi-parasites, but I reckon that parasitism is a critical part of the life history of these plants and that it is still useful to add it. I have just done so for the three species of Exocarpos in the PlantFiles and I see that it has also now be added to Nuytsia.

Yes I did it.

It's my understanding that hemi-parasitic species aren't totally dependant on a host, apparently can cope without a host plant quite well although they occur less frequently than when a host plant is present.

Edited because of idiocy on writers part ;)



This message was edited Jan 31, 2005 7:23 AM

Dave and Terry

Is there any way we can change the Parasitic option to Parasitic/hemi- parasitic please since there is quite a difference within these two sets of plants?

Debby, I added hemiparasitic to that category this morning ;o)

oh cool

Debby,
I have just remembered another group of parasites, the Dodders, Cuscuta species
There are 12 species in PlantFiles. I have set the categories of 4 to be parasite or hemiparasite, but the other 8
Cuscuta cassytoides African Dodder
Cuscuta epithymum Clover Dodder
Cuscuta gronovii Scaldweed
Cuscuta mitriformis Cochise Dodder
Cuscuta pentagona Field Dodder, Five-angled Dodder
Cuscuta reflexa Giant Dodder
Cuscuta runyonii Runyon's Dodder
Cuscuta warneri Warner's Dodder
all had their categories set already. Could you add parasite to these please?
Ken

Thanks Terry!

Kennedyh, thanks I've done those :)

While you are at it Debby, I have just searched the web for Parasitic plants and found this excellent site http://www.science.siu.edu/parasitic-plants/
Using this I have found the following genera that are parasitic or hemiparasiteic and are represented in the PlantFiles. I have adjusted a few that I could, like all the Orobanche and Exocarpos species, but the rest I shall have to leave to you. Here is my list:

Orobanchaceae
Parasites
Aureolaria
Boschniakia
Conolophis
Epifagus
Macranthea
Orobanche

Hemiparasites
Agalinis
Schwalbea

Lauraceae
Parasites
Cassytha

Rafflesiaceae
Parasites
Rafflesia

Krameriaceae
Parasites
Krameria

Olacaceae
Hemiparasites
Ximenia

Santalaceae
Parasites
Choretrum
Comandra
Exocarpus

Hemiparasites
Santalum

I have located references to parasitism or hemiparasitism elsewhere on the web for at least one species in each genus above.

If these are all updated, we shall be pretty well complete as far as references to parasitism is concerned,

Ken

Thanks :) I think I've added them all.

Well done Debby!
As a small start to the epiphytes, I believe most if not all Tillandsia species are epiphytes!

Debby
One more list, this time the following ferns are all grow as epiphytes but I cannot set their categories:
Asplenium bulbiferum
Rumohra adiantiformis
Trichomanes krausii
Microsorum thailandicum
Microsorum scolopendria
Polypodium vulgare
and all four species of Platycerium

I have completed all the ferns that I can set and I will have a go at searching through all the ferns in the PlantFiles and attempt to identify all the epiphytes, but that won't be immediate.