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What 'plant' is not a plant?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

July 18, 2002

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Killer Picks: Wollemi Pine, greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century—>Click here.

Fold Cat, Fisherman's Dream Kit, Sport Boat, Kayak, Cutty Sark Ship Model—>Click here.

Kelps (Order: Laminariales) are multicellular brown algae, large seaweeds generally found in cool waters. Some species grow to 60 meters (195 feet) at a rate of 40 centimeters (16 inches) a day. These seaweeds form 'forests' important to the productivity of the oceans.

A gliding column of glowing kelp
illuminates Monterey Bay
Wolcott Henry/National Geographic Image Collection
Buy this Framed Art Print at AllPosters.com

The body of a kelp consists of a holdfast which adheres to rocks, a stipe which functions like a stem or branch, and a blade or blades which are flat and carry on most of the photosynthesis. The stipe grows at the tip--an apical meristem where cell division adds to its length. The stipe contains 'trumpet cells' which conduct food (sugars) down to the holdfast.

Some species grow a pneumatocyst, a gas-filled float on branches of the stipe. The meristem (dividing and growing cells) changes. The meristem (meristoderm) remains at the base of the blade. Cell division pushes the tip of the blade outward. The blade, continually broken by the waves, is replaced by the meristoderm.

Kelps contain four photosynthetic pigments: chlorophyll a, chlorophylls c1 and c2, and fucoxanthin. Chlorophyll a, the reaction center, carries on photosynthesis; the other pigments capture the photons of light and pass the energy to the reaction center.

Kelps (like all algae) photosynthesize, grow, and form communities like plants. But the cells do not differentiate like plants forming root cells, wood cells, or leaf cells. The cells are merely arranged to simulate a root, stem, or leaf. The photosynthetic pigments are like pigments found in Heliobacterium.

There are 14 groups of living organisms, among them kelps and other algae that are not bacteria, fungi, plants, or animals. They are not really related to each other either. Science lumped them together in a mess called the Kingdom Protista. The name derives from the Greek, protistos, which means "very first", as in, "If we ever figure this out, you will be the very first to know."

National Geographic has a wonderful site about Monterey Bay including a virtual dive in a submersible. To view the page, click on the link:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/monterey/ax/primary_fs.html

There are two versions, full and light, of the dive. The full version has 'mouse-over' capabilities. Click on the objects on the screen as you descend.

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Wollemi Pine

National Geographic®

Exclusively from National Geographic, this survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years. Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area. Click here to view canyon, trees and fossil record.

You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening or as a landscape tree in certain areas of the U.S. Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Comes in a copper-colored container and will be approximately 10''H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research. Click here to get your Wollemi Pine and assist in the conservation effort.

Cutty Sark Ship Model

National Geographic®

One of history's great clipper ships, the Cutty Sark was launched in 1869, just as the Suez Canal was opened and the steamship began its ascendancy. Fully assembled, this handsome model is handmade from wood and cloth to faithfully reproduce all of her hallmarks, from the sharp bow to soaring masts and sails. Includes a special scroll detailing her history and exploits.

Click here for price and more info...