Sarcodes is the monotypic genus of a north-west American flowering springtime plant in the heath family (Ericaceae), containing the single species Sarcodes sanguinea, commonly called the snow plant or snow flower. It is a parasitic plant that derives sustenance and nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi that attach to tree roots. Lacking chlorophyll, it is unable to photosynthesize.[1]Ectomycorrhizal (EM)symbioses involve a mutualism between a plant root and a fungus; the plant provides fixed carbon to the fungus and in return, the fungus provides mineral nutrients, water, and protection from pathogens to the plant. The snow plant takes advantage of this mutualism by tapping into the network and stealing sugars from the photosynthetic partner by way of the fungus.[2] This is known as mycoheterotrophy. The snow plant is host-specific and can only form relationships with the ectomycorrhizal BasidiomyceteRhizopogon ellenae.[3]
The plant's aboveground tissue is its inflorescence, a raceme of bright scarlet red flowers wrapped in many strap-like, pointed bracts with fringed edges, themselves bright red to orange in color.[4]
Its species epithetsanguinea refers to the striking red flower that emerges from the sometimes still snow-covered ground in early spring or summer; this may be as late as July in high elevations, such as those of the High Sierra Nevada and Cascades. The genus epithet Sarcodes comes from the Greek sarkódes (σαρκώδες), meaning "fleshy".[4]
According to botanist James L. Reveal, S. sanguinea is edible, if cooked.[5] The root is said to have a texture and flavor similar to asparagus.[6]
Reportedly the first account of Sarcodes sanguinea, John Torrey's Plantæ Frémontianæ is a result of the collection of Sarcodes by John C. Frémont in the Central Valley, north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, in the area of the Yuba River in 1853.[7][8] In Plantæ Frémontianæ, Torrey gives a detailed description of Sarcodes and provides the first figures of the plant. He also incorrectly states that Sarcodes is unique to California.[8] Another early report of S. sanguinea is attributed to Gaspard Adolphe Chatin whose 1862 description did not differ from Torrey's.[7][9]
In writingedit
Due to its unique and striking appearance, coupled with its relatively limited geographic distribution, S. sanguinea has been a popular subject of various California naturalists. In his 1912 book, The Yosemite,[10] famed nature writer John Muir wrote a description of Sarcodes;
The snow plant (Sarcodes sanguinea) is more admired by tourists than any other in California. It is red, fleshy, and watery and looks like a gigantic asparagus shoot. Soon after the snow is off the ground, it rises through the dead needles and humus in the pine and fir woods like a bright glowing pillar of fire.... It is said to grow up through the snow; on the contrary, it always waits until the ground is warm, though with other early flowers it is occasionally buried or half-buried for a day or two by spring storms.... Nevertheless, it is a singularly cold and unsympathetic plant. Everybody admires it as a wonderful curiosity, but nobody loves it as lilies, violets, roses, daisies are loved. Without fragrance, it stands beneath the pines and firs lonely and silent, as if unacquainted with any other plant in the world; never moving in the wildest storms; rigid as if lifeless, though covered with beautiful rosy flowers.
Are you a blood red hyacinth Transported strangely To these cold Sierra solitudes? But hyacinths have leaves, While you are leafless, And thick and waxy And blood-red everywhere. Who would suppose That the delicate tinted heather Is your cousin?
^Reveal, James L. (2000). "Flora of Western North America: Sarcodes sanguinea Torr". Retrieved November 7, 2021.
^Dowd, Michelle (2023). Forager: field notes on surviving a family cult. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. p. 127. ISBN978-1-64375-185-6.
^ abOliver, F.W. (1889–1891). "On Sarcodes sanguinea, Torr". Annals of Botany. 4: #373 (p.303) - #414 (p.326) – via HathiTrust.
^ abTorrey, John (1853). Plantæ Frémontianæ. Washington D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution. pp. 18–20.
^Adolphe Chatin, Gaspard (1862). Anatomie comparée des végétaux : 1. Les plantes aquatiques ; 2. Les plantes parasites ; 3. Les plantes aériennes ; 4. Les plantes terrestres (in French). Paris. OCLC 64657765.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Muir, John (1912). The Yosemite. The Century Co. pp. 149–150.
^Lyman Jr., William Whittingham; Hood, Mary Jessup (1939). California Wild Flowers. Los Angeles. pp. 42–43.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
sarcodes, monotypic, genus, north, west, american, flowering, springtime, plant, heath, family, ericaceae, containing, single, species, sanguinea, commonly, called, snow, plant, snow, flower, parasitic, plant, that, derives, sustenance, nutrients, from, mycorr. Sarcodes is the monotypic genus of a north west American flowering springtime plant in the heath family Ericaceae containing the single species Sarcodes sanguinea commonly called the snow plant or snow flower It is a parasitic plant that derives sustenance and nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi that attach to tree roots Lacking chlorophyll it is unable to photosynthesize 1 Ectomycorrhizal EM symbioses involve a mutualism between a plant root and a fungus the plant provides fixed carbon to the fungus and in return the fungus provides mineral nutrients water and protection from pathogens to the plant The snow plant takes advantage of this mutualism by tapping into the network and stealing sugars from the photosynthetic partner by way of the fungus 2 This is known as mycoheterotrophy The snow plant is host specific and can only form relationships with the ectomycorrhizal Basidiomycete Rhizopogon ellenae 3 SarcodesConservation statusSecure NatureServe Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder EricalesFamily EricaceaeSubfamily MonotropoideaeTribe PterosporeaeGenus SarcodesTorr Species S sanguineaBinomial nameSarcodes sanguineaTorr The plant s aboveground tissue is its inflorescence a raceme of bright scarlet red flowers wrapped in many strap like pointed bracts with fringed edges themselves bright red to orange in color 4 S sanguinea is native to montane areas of the California Floristic Province from the Oregon Cascade Range as far north as the Umpqua River through the mountains of California including the Transverse Ranges though it is absent from the California Coast Ranges between the Klamath Mountains and into the Sierra de San Pedro Martir range of northern Baja California Its species epithet sanguinea refers to the striking red flower that emerges from the sometimes still snow covered ground in early spring or summer this may be as late as July in high elevations such as those of the High Sierra Nevada and Cascades The genus epithet Sarcodes comes from the Greeksarkodes sarkwdes meaning fleshy 4 According to botanist James L Reveal S sanguinea is edible if cooked 5 The root is said to have a texture and flavor similar to asparagus 6 Contents 1 History 1 1 In writing 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory editReportedly the first account of Sarcodes sanguinea John Torrey s Plantae Fremontianae is a result of the collection of Sarcodes by John C Fremont in the Central Valley north of the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta in the area of the Yuba River in 1853 7 8 In Plantae Fremontianae Torrey gives a detailed description of Sarcodes and provides the first figures of the plant He also incorrectly states that Sarcodes is unique to California 8 Another early report of S sanguinea is attributed to Gaspard Adolphe Chatin whose 1862 description did not differ from Torrey s 7 9 In writing edit Due to its unique and striking appearance coupled with its relatively limited geographic distribution S sanguinea has been a popular subject of various California naturalists In his 1912 book The Yosemite 10 famed nature writer John Muir wrote a description of Sarcodes The snow plant Sarcodes sanguinea is more admired by tourists than any other in California It is red fleshy and watery and looks like a gigantic asparagus shoot Soon after the snow is off the ground it rises through the dead needles and humus in the pine and fir woods like a bright glowing pillar of fire It is said to grow up through the snow on the contrary it always waits until the ground is warm though with other early flowers it is occasionally buried or half buried for a day or two by spring storms Nevertheless it is a singularly cold and unsympathetic plant Everybody admires it as a wonderful curiosity but nobody loves it as lilies violets roses daisies are loved Without fragrance it stands beneath the pines and firs lonely and silent as if unacquainted with any other plant in the world never moving in the wildest storms rigid as if lifeless though covered with beautiful rosy flowers In 1939 former University of California Berkeley professor William Whittingham Lyman Jr published a poem book called California Wild Flowers in which he dedicated a poem to The Snow Plant 11 nbsp Stand of Sarcodes near Donner LakeAre you a blood red hyacinth Transported strangely To these cold Sierra solitudes But hyacinths have leaves While you are leafless And thick and waxy And blood red everywhere Who would suppose That the delicate tinted heather Is your cousin See also editMonotropa HyobancheReferences edit Capon Brian 2005 Botany for Gardeners 2nd ed Portland OR Timber Publishing p 127 ISBN 978 0 88192 655 2 Bruns TD Bidartondo MI Taylor DL 2002 Host Specificity in Ectomycorrhizal Communities What do the exceptions tell us Integr Comp Biol 42 2 352 359 doi 10 1093 icb 42 2 352 PMID 21708728 http icb oxfordjournals org content 42 2 352 full Trappe James R Molina Luoma Daniel Cazares Efren D Pilz Smith Jane Castellano Michael SL Miller Trappe Matthew 2009 01 01 Diversity ecology and conservation of truffle fungi in forests of the Pacific Northwest a b Schoenherr Allan A 1995 A Natural History of California Berkeley CA University of California Press pp 145 146 ISBN 978 0 520 06922 0 Reveal James L 2000 Flora of Western North America Sarcodes sanguinea Torr Retrieved November 7 2021 Dowd Michelle 2023 Forager field notes on surviving a family cult Chapel Hill Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill p 127 ISBN 978 1 64375 185 6 a b Oliver F W 1889 1891 On Sarcodes sanguinea Torr Annals of Botany 4 373 p 303 414 p 326 via HathiTrust a b Torrey John 1853 Plantae Fremontianae Washington D C The Smithsonian Institution pp 18 20 Adolphe Chatin Gaspard 1862 Anatomie comparee des vegetaux 1 Les plantes aquatiques 2 Les plantes parasites 3 Les plantes aeriennes 4 Les plantes terrestres in French Paris OCLC 64657765 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Muir John 1912 The Yosemite The Century Co pp 149 150 Lyman Jr William Whittingham Hood Mary Jessup 1939 California Wild Flowers Los Angeles pp 42 43 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link External links editSarcodes at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons nbsp Taxa from Wikispecies Calflora Sarcodes sanguinea Jepson Manual Treatment Sarcodes sanguinea Sarcodes sanguinea U C Photo gallery Further photos by James L Reveal The Yosemite Chapter 8 at The Sierra Club USDA for media and geographic distribution map Genus Sarcodes at iNaturalist Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sarcodes amp oldid 1215893625, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
