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Mysteries of the Wood Chunk
My Christmas Moss is looking like a forest of evergreens just in time for
Christmas, but some very interesting growth is showing up as well. The
mystery lies in these growths; Are they "new" plants (i.e., hitchhikers),
growth forms of old ones, or visitors from another planet? I'll let y'all
decide.
The first growth is a long, straw colored runner. A small tuft of
curled...leaves, I guess...is at each node and the interval between nodes
is about 1.5 - 2 cm. This runner is putting out another runner
perpendicular to itself. The runner extends from a moss covered wood
chunkIt's a very interesting growth and decorative as well. I cannot be
sure if it is the Christmas moss that's putting out the runner because the
moss is growing on a wood piece that once had Java moss attached, so I'm
sure there must be remnants of the JM on the wood and growing. But then
again, I've been growing Java Moss for a long time and have never seen this
kind of growth. Another possibility is E. tenellus, but I can't imagine
growth which looks like this to be any form of it. The only other
possibility I can think of is the other mystery growth.
The second growth I'm seeing is what I believe to be a moss. It is a
curious growth of an electric, pale green color and is flat and takes the
form of a "Y". There are 4 of these "Y" growths now and they are
multiplying. My moss experience is limited to Java Moss and Willow Moss,
so I am unable to recognize it. Willow Moss has never been near this tank
or anything in it, so I know that isn't it. If it's Java Moss, well, it's
the first time I've seen this variety of form. Does anyone recognize it or
the other growth I mentioned? KL?
Oh yeah, this wood also has the narrow leaf variety of Java Fern growing on
it. I doubt it is the culprit in the case of either growth, but who knows?
You all may want to ask me why I don't just yank up the wood chunk and take
a good look, but this tank has recently undergone some intense rework and
has just now started to settle in. One day I will have to remove the chunk
to maintain it, but until then I'm hoping the sleuths of the APD can help
me solve the mystery of the wood chunk.
Chuck Huffine
Knoxville, Tennessee USA
mailto:grendel at usit_net