#Phymatodes

[cainhowlett]

[horsebeast]

Phymatodes sp.

[drhoz]

#2574 - Dendroconche scandens - Fragrant Fern

AKA mokimoki, Microsorum scandens (it's still Microsorum on iNaturalist), Drynaria scandens, Phymatodes pustulatum, Phymatodes scandens, Phymatosorus scandens and Polypodium scandens. 'scandens' means 'to climb'.

A climbing fern found in coastal and lowland parts of Australian and New Zaland, and some Pacific islands, but introduced to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Adult fronds are larger, thin, and divided, and as the common name suggests, pleasantly aromatic when crushed. They were used to mask unpleasant odours by the Māori.

From further south at Greymouth.

Easily propogated from rooted rhizomes.

Pancake Cakes, Aotearoa New Zealand

[wildshapedruid]

can I share some fun tree facts that I hyperfocused on? 🥺

"Giant sequoias are in many ways adapted to forest fires. Their bark is unusually fire resistant, and their cones will normally open immediately after a fire. Giant sequoias are a pioneer species, and are having difficulty reproducing in their original habitat (and very rarely reproduce in cultivation) due to the seeds only being able to grow successfully in full sun and in mineral-rich soils, free from competing vegetation. Although the seeds can germinate in moist needle humus in the spring, these seedlings will die as the duff dries in the summer. They therefore require periodic wildfire to clear competing vegetation and soil humus before successful regeneration can occur. Without fire, shade-loving species will crowd out young sequoia seedlings, and sequoia seeds will not germinate. When fully grown, these trees typically require large amounts of water and are therefore often concentrated near streams. Squirrels, chipmunks, finches and sparrows consume the freshly sprouted seedlings, preventing their growth.

Fires also bring hot air high into the canopy via convection, which in turn dries and opens the cones. The subsequent release of large quantities of seeds coincides with the optimal postfire seedbed conditions. Loose ground ash may also act as a cover to protect the fallen seeds from ultraviolet radiation damage. Due to fire suppression efforts and livestock grazing during the early and mid-20th century, low-intensity fires no longer occurred naturally in many groves, and still do not occur in some groves today. The suppression of fires leads to ground fuel build-up and the dense growth of fire-sensitive white fir, which increases the risk of more intense fires that can use the firs as ladders to threaten mature giant sequoia crowns. Natural fires may also be important in keeping carpenter ants in check. In 1970, the National Park Service began controlled burns of its groves to correct these problems. Current policies also allow natural fires to burn. One of these untamed burns severely damaged the second-largest tree in the world, the Washington tree, in September 2003, 45 days after the fire started. This damage made it unable to withstand the snowstorm of January 2005, leading to the collapse of over half the trunk.

In addition to fire, two animal agents also assist giant sequoia seed release. The more significant of the two is a longhorn beetle (Phymatodes nitidus) that lays eggs on the cones, into which the larvae then bore holes. Reduction of the vascular water supply to the cone scales allows the cones to dry and open for the seeds to fall. Cones damaged by the beetles during the summer will slowly open over the next several months. Some research indicates many cones, particularly higher in the crowns, may need to be partially dried by beetle damage before fire can fully open them. The other agent is the Douglas squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasi) that gnaws on the fleshy green scales of younger cones. The squirrels are active year-round, and some seeds are dislodged and dropped as the cone is eaten."

[cultivatewonder]

Phymatodes testaceus (Le phymatode variable), insecte Coléoptère. 

Très répandus en France, ces coléoptères se nourrissent de bois mort, en particulier de chêne. La couleur des élytres (ailes antérieures durcies et cornées) est très variable. 

Sources : https://inpn.mnhn.fr/espece/cd_nom/12360

[lanatureenville]

Longicorne variable (Phymatodes testaceus) , coléoptères bruns sur une marguerite.

[artscult-com]

polypodium phymatodes (L) - high resolution image from old book.

[artscult-com]

polypodium phymatodes - high resolution image from old book.