Castilleja haustorial connection microscopy (Orobanchaceae)

Knowledge graph centered on Castilleja haustorial connection microscopy (Orobanchaceae) with 67 nodes and 134 connections. Top connected: Bombus, Ipomopsis, Ligusticum porteri, Delphinium, Bombus appositus.

Method synopsis

Root systems around Castilleja plants are excavated, cleaned, and examined microscopically to identify haustorium-host connections for direct detection of parasitic relationships. Host species are identified based on root and tissue characteristics.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 2 papers using this protocol.

Procedure as described in the canonical source

Steps below were extracted from the paper that introduces this protocol — Parasitism modifies the direct effects of warming on a hemiparasite and its host (2019), PLOS ONE. Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Biomass harvest and haustorial connection counting
   Seventy days after being assigned a temperature treatment, plants were destructively harvested for biomass measurements. Plants were soaked in water to loosen and rinse away soil from the roots. For plants in the host + parasite growing condition, the number of haustorial connections was counted under a dissecting microscope before the host and hemiparasite root systems were separated. Aboveground and belowground wet biomass of each plant was separated, placed in a drying oven for 24-48 h at 50°C, and weighed to the nearest 0.1 mg.
   Quantities: 70 days growth period, 24-48 hour drying time, 50°C drying temperature, 0.1 mg measurement precisionDuration: 24-48 hours for dryingConditions: 50°C drying temperature
   Equipment: dissecting microscope, drying oven, precision balance (0.1 mg)

Typical Equipment

• shovels
• collection containers
• water for rinsing soil
• microscopes
• dissection tools
• water baths for rinsing

Output Measurements

• host species identity
• parasitic connection presence

Papers Using This Protocol (3)

Species Studied With This Protocol