unknown structure

[Steven R. Hill]

That's easy.  These are the germinating 'fruits' of Hymenocallis, probably
Hymenocallis caroliniana (= occidentalis?) which I have collected all along
the Navasota River floodplain in Brazos County.  These 'fruits' containing
the seed float and disperse widely on the floodplain.

--Steve Hill

At 08:18 PM 07/01/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>Dear taxacomers,
>  I hope everyone interested in plants, insects, and (?) fungi will take a
>look at:
><http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/biolherb/unknown_jun00.htm>
>and help us identify these bizarre structures.
>  Only two of these objects were found, in close proximity, sticking out of
>the ground on the short stalks shown.  These were found among numerous plant
>species in the swampy bottomlands of east Texas, USA.  They are dark
>blue-green in color, and have no scent.  Local botanists do not recognize
>these objects as any plant-produced structure-- there is no sign of ovules.
>Could they be some sort of fungus or insect root gall?
>  Thanks for your input,
>Amanda Neill
>
>
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Amanda K. Neill
>Department of Biology Herbarium
>Texas A&M University
>3258 TAMU
>College Station, Texas 77843-3258
>
>Office# (979) 845-3397
>Home# (979) 260-9933
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Steven R. Hill
Center for Biodiversity
Illinois Natural History Survey
607 East Peabody Drive
Champaign, Illinois 61820, U.S.A.

Phone: (217) 244-8452
Fax: (217) 333-4949
srhill at mail.inhs.uiuc.edu