Star of Wonder, Star of light

Earthstar fungi for Christmas. Very cool mushrooms. People eat them in Thailand! Astraeus hygrometricus http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/dec2003.html

Christmas Lichen-- looks like a wreath

Christmas lichen, Cryptothecia rubrocincta. Beautiful southern fungus/alga combo. Green and red http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/dec2006.html

The Yeast shall rise again!

Doing some Christmas baking? Having some Christmas Spirits? You probably are using the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae for your beer, wine, bread, and other snacks. See http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/dec2002.html

Christmas cactus!

Where does the Christmas cactus come from? Why does it bloom now? See Chris Spangenberg's Organismal biology web page http://bit.ly/5N8ywh

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!

Why do we use Holly at Christmas? How does it grow and stay green all winter? See Kaycee Reberg's Organismal biology page at http://bit.ly/5B14BD

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

What the heck is myrrh? Why did the Wise Men bring it? Read Rochelle Wink's Organismal Biology page at http://bit.ly/90n8Ol

Western Australian Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree that's already decorated? Check out Jordan Mortensen's Organismal Biology page about the
Western Australian Christmas Tree,(Nuytsia floribunda),

at

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/mortense_jord/

It's really two plants in one-- a host and a parasite!

Turtledoves

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me….two Streptopelia turtur ? Read about turtledoves at Sarah Schreiner's Organismal biology page at

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/schreine_sara/

Kissing under the Mistletoe?

More Christmas Organisms. Why do people kiss under the mistletoe? Read Paul Schroeer-Hannemann's Organismal Biology webpage at http://bit.ly/4r5Rob

Poinsettia, the Christmas flower

Christmas Organisms: What's the story of Poinsettias? What are those yellow things in the middle? See Christine Vick's Organismal Biology page at http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/vick_chri/

Where does peppermint come from?

Christmas organisms:

Read about Peppermint at Nicole Johnson's web page for Organismal Biology at http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/johnson_nic4/


Learn more about other organisms associated with Christmas at MultipleOrganisms.net, the web page from Organismal Biology from the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse

What are reindeer really like?

Read Laura Nelson's Organismal Biology web page on Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) at

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/nelson_lau4/

Learn more about other organisms associated with Christmas at MultipleOrganisms.net, the web page from Organismal Biology from the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse

"Chestnuts roasting on a open fire."

Want to learn more about chestnuts? See UW- La Crosse Organismal Biology student Stephanie Dorman's web page at multipleorganisms.net.

Stephanie's chestnut page is at http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/dorman_step/

Christmas Organisms

Our Organismal Biology Class at University of Wisconsin- La Crosse has made web pages the past three years. For 2009 all of their web pages are about organisms that are related to Christmas. You'll be surprised at how many kinds of animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and protozoans play a role in Christmas celebrations. Think reindeer, partridge in a pear tree, Christmas trees, swans-a-swimming and even diseases you want to avoid.

See MultipleOrganisms.net to read about all these Christmas organisms.

Geomyces destructans

Be sure to visit my fungus of the month page on Geomyces destructans, a fungus associated with bat White-Nose syndrome.

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/may2009.html

This fungus is associated with bat deaths in the northeastern United States. It's actually rather bizarre looking as well.