Albino Redwood

I received this in one of those e-mails that goes around and around and around-

Kinda neat. Here's the other photo that came in the e-mail. I didn't take this photo either-

I'm kind of confused. How does the uptake of nutrients from the soil provide leaf. I can understand the root,trunk, and branching but I would think that without photosynthesis the plant couldn't grow leaf surface. You know everything Equil how does the energy go to the leaf?

It survives by being a parasite on other redwoods - the roots are grafted onto the roots of adjacent trees, allowing it to use their nutrients.

For more info, scroll down to 'Remarks', here:
http://www.conifers.org/cu/se/index.htm

Resin

That is facinating. Grafted roots becoming trees from a parent tree. How does the genetics get transferred from root phenotype to trunk and leaf? I have studied embryology and I don't know how this could occur. Yes from the seed because all endo/meso/ecto sperm exist but not from a root from a parent tree. Time to learn by reading. Off to the library.

I found the albino redwoods interesting. Never heard of albino redwoods before. Is the relationship a direct parasitism or myco-heterotrophic? Your link stated, "One peculiar consequence of this is the occurrence of 'white redwoods' (see photo), which are trees that originate as root sprouts and are competely nonphotosynthetic, deriving all of their carbohydrate from the roots of their photosynthetic associates (which are not necessarily related, as root grafting is common between redwoods)" which leads me to believe this is a direct parasitism just like mistletoe but maybe my understanding isn't all that clear. I'm familiar with Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora) and have seen them growing in the wild yet they are classified as myco-heterotrophic because they possess no chlorophyll yet neither does the albino redwood. Indian Pipes are completely non-photosynthetic too. Why aren't the Indian Pipes classified as having a relationship that is a direct? They could not survive were it not for their existence on mycorrhizal fungus.

This sounds like it isn't a lot different than a "sport" which one normally associates with a branch, except that these originate from the root system. The albino sprout could be part of a system of sprouts from the roots of one original tree, where the rest of the sprouts are green (photosynthetic) and support the albino.

OR the root system with the albino could be grafted to independent root systems of other green (photosynthetic) trees and is being supported by them. Doesn't sound like the classic definition of parasitism, but functionally acts similar.

No where in the remarks in that link were there claims that the albino was an independently growing organism (originating solely from a seed) that then sought out nourishment by parasitizing other nearby organisms. That is more like how mistletoe behaves, I believe.

Yes but mistletoe is classified as having a relationship that is a direct parasitism yet most mistletoe photosynthesize. The Albino Redwoods and the Indian Pipes don't photosynthesize.

Fairly sure I've got some more info in a book somewhere, I'll see what I can dig out, and post it here (if I can get it done before my DG sub runs out in a few days!)

Resin

In order to be albino it would have to come from seed IE different genetics. Not a root piece that became a sprout. Otherwise it would be photosynthetic, right?

This was interesting - no tap root.

"The root system of the redwood tree is surprisingly shallow, especially given the great height the mature tree attains. There is no tap root and the other roots may reach no deeper than 6-12 feet. The major roots are about 1 inch in diameter. and they typically spread 50 to 80 feet. One way in which the trees are able to remain upright for millennia is by growing close together with other redwood trees, intermingling root systems. In the picture below a number of redwoods crowd together in a typical grove."

http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Redwood/Redwood2.html

I don't think it would have to be different genetics if it is a root sprout. We've all seen an albino sport on a plant where all the leaves grow white but it usually doesn't make it. I'd say it is a sucker of the original plant. I still think it looks like a dead cedar, the yellowish one in particular. It'd be hard to graft as the rootstock would need to have enough green to support the graft.

Did ya dig anything out resin?

I too wondered oh great one. I don't believe in saprophitic trees.

Sorry, couldn't find it :-(

Resin

This is one of the most interesting subjects posted of late. Thanks, Laurn, for sharing this...

I think I might have figured it out on my own but I was sort of hoping Resin would find something in print because the answer to my question might be embarrassingly obvious. You know, the type where you slap your own hand to your head and say, “Duh”.

We simple ones need to learn. What are your suppositions Lauren?

We simple ones??? Ha, what does that make me then. Wait till you see what I'm thinking. I'll d-mail you.

My son and his partner have a 2' albino redwood tree on their property. It is part of a "fairy ring" that formed after the area was clear cut about 80years ago. You can still see the orginal "mother" tree. Coastal redwoods produce a large number of basal shoots that can sprout as a result of an injury to the "mother" tree. Since the albino tree comes from the roots or basal stump of the "mother" tree it is not a parasite. As the shoots mature and produce more and the original dies, the ring of trees spreads out over a large area. Click on cloning.
http://www.askmar.com/Redwoods/Masters_Thesis.html
Here's a photo I took of a typical fairy ring at Roaring Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This grove is known as the Cathedral. The inner members of the ring are now about 50' apart. The trunk diameters are between 6' and 12'.


This message was edited Feb 6, 2007 8:35 AM

Useful definition ???:

http://www.answers.com/topic/myco-heterotrophy

describes this process which takes place underground (hence could involve root formation) and is facilitated by fungi (prevalent in forest litter).

QUOTATION: bud sport A somatic mutation arising in a bud and producing a genetically different shoot. Bud sports includes changes due to gene mutation, somatic reduction, chromosome deletion or polyploidy.

VV's discussion has me off trying to find a distinction between plants arising from 3 processes:
myco-heterotrophy, bud sports, and graft-chimera.

Coastal redwood trees sprouting from basal buds are genetically identical to the parent.
[quote}One of the survival strategies of these trees is the ability to sprout from bud tissue called burl. If a tree falls, is logged, or the trunk is damaged, the burl can be triggered to start sprouting new growth. In this way, redwoods are able to reproduce and survive severe damage. The sprouts use the root system of the parent tree and are genetically identical. [/quote]
Original article: http://www.humboldtredwoods.org/oldgrowth.htm (This appears to be the current thinking, but the last article throws a wrench in the works.)

These burls often are massive and can rise upward above the ground. The new offspring can also arise from the roots of the parent.

I have not read of myco-heteroprophy being involved in fairy ring formation. My search didn't turn up any results.

I looked up graft-chimera in Wikipedia and came up with this:
definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_(plant)
example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%2BLaburnocytisus_%27Adamii%27

Definition of bud sport: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_sport
Definition of myco-heterotrophy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Peer_review/Myco-heterotrophy

Some mention of albinoism is noted:

Thank you Bettydee for your extensive and complete search on such an interesting topic. We need a geneticist now to get that book out that hasn't been published. Well done.

Smelling better than Braford pears isn't much of an endorsement...

Poor Bradford Pear trees. What did they do but get beautiful for a couple of weeks, locked into their genetics is a weak spineless trunk, and finally man decided to park cars underneath this poor unfortunate victim. LOL