At 5:19 PM +0100 6/7/01, Susan Schenk wrote:
>Hi, all. For a number of years we have included Marsilea sporocarps in
>our Intro Bio development lab. We got them from Connecticut Valley and
>they all worked perfectly, with the gelatinous ring emerging within
>minutes and small plants within a few days. CV stopped carrying them so
>I ordered from Carolina. These were clearly from a different species
>(over twice as large and hairy vs half the size of an apple seed and
>smooth) and none of them worked, including the replacements Carolina
>sent when I complained. Do any of you know of other suppliers? I hate to
>give up anything to do with plants: there is little enough of that in
>the labs already. Thanks for any help.
>Cheers, Sue Schenk
>>Dr. Susan M. Schenk
I used Marsilia for the first time this year, with Carolina
sporocarps (no hair, btw, and about the same size as an apple seed),
and the results were spotty. First time through, they worked
perfectly and we got beautiful little sporophytes with the pots and
cones Carolina provides with the kits. But then I tried to start some
others as part of a practical exam and got very few to "germinate" at
all, and those that did just lipped out the spores a little way from
the sporocarp. No plants from that group, either.
So... the Carolina stuff works *sometimes*. Harumpf!
-W2
________________________
William E. Williams
Biology Department
Saint Mary's College of Maryland
18952 E. Fisher Rd.
Saint Mary's City, MD 20686-3001
NEW PHONE: (240)895-4365
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