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asgardeventide2013-11-10 10:50 am
could_be_dangerous) wrote in asgardeventide2013-11-10 10:50 am
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A Brief Survey of Asgardian Fungi
The city of Asgard and its surroundings offer a number of notable fungal species endemic to local environs, whose presence or absence therefore may be taken as locational or behavioural indicators. To the detective, fungus is eloquent. Traces of fungal matter may shed light onto a victim or suspect’s living condition, recent activities, or in the (currently rare) case of the long dead, where a body might have been stored or whence it might have been moved prior to its current placement.
Even aside from its uses to the investigator, an analysis of fungal diversity is of fundamental importance to those operating within a variety of fields. Following is a brief survey of some instances of particular interest.
Whether by convergent evolution or cross-contamination, among the most common Asgardian fungi are a variety of moulds analogous to mundane species of Aspergillus, in their reproductively mature forms most commonly found on spoiled food or other organic matter. They may be identified in this state by their characteristic globular, apical sporangia, and their presence detected otherwise by their globular spores, often found in clumps. Presumably inhalation of a sufficient number of spores or ingestion could produce a condition analogous to Aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. Presence of spores or hyphae is not particularly enlightening save in very high concentrations, in which it may be taken as an indicator of recent contact with rotting material, particularly vegetal, or any damp environment rich in oxygen and organic matter.
Another class of molds which likely offer no particular pathogenic threat but which nonetheless may be easily recognised and therefore used as a marker may be found in organic-rich soils and on plant surfaces. It is recognisable particularly in the latter instance by its delicate white sporangiophores and transparent, round sporangia, which upon microscopic examination display typical conidiae but which to the naked eye appear more like droplets of liquid suspended at various points along the sporangiophore, similar to dew on the stem of a plant. Its spores may be distinguished by their somewhat oblong shape. Again, this species is sufficiently common to be of note for that characteristic alone, though its presence is not necessarily enlightening.
Of more interest is a filamentous fungus found almost exclusively on spoiled animal products or biological by-products such as animal dung. Its presence may be read as indicative of contact with livestock or livestock enclosures, and it is easily recognizable in culture by its largely transparent, slime-like appearance, consisting of branches from which sporangiophores grow. In colouration it may be a transparent white, yellow, or black, and can be difficult to cultivate outside of its natural habitats, due to its sensitivity to environmental changes. As such, any traces of this fungus or its characteristic conidal spores are of immediate note.
Perhaps the most specific example yet uncovered is a pin mould identifiable by its long, red, hair-like sporangiophores and its irregularly globular spores. It grows exclusively on other fungi, specifically mushrooms, which themselves have been noted growing solely on rotting wood. Presence of its spores or hyphae on a trouser leg, for example, may be taken as almost certain proof that the wearer has recently spent time in a heavily wooded area – moreover, an area in which fallen trees are permitted to decay naturally rather than being cleared away, thereby indicating a natural forest rather than a park.
-- Due to time constraints and recent events, a comprehensive survey has not been possible.
SH
The city of Asgard and its surroundings offer a number of notable fungal species endemic to local environs, whose presence or absence therefore may be taken as locational or behavioural indicators. To the detective, fungus is eloquent. Traces of fungal matter may shed light onto a victim or suspect’s living condition, recent activities, or in the (currently rare) case of the long dead, where a body might have been stored or whence it might have been moved prior to its current placement.
Even aside from its uses to the investigator, an analysis of fungal diversity is of fundamental importance to those operating within a variety of fields. Following is a brief survey of some instances of particular interest.
Whether by convergent evolution or cross-contamination, among the most common Asgardian fungi are a variety of moulds analogous to mundane species of Aspergillus, in their reproductively mature forms most commonly found on spoiled food or other organic matter. They may be identified in this state by their characteristic globular, apical sporangia, and their presence detected otherwise by their globular spores, often found in clumps. Presumably inhalation of a sufficient number of spores or ingestion could produce a condition analogous to Aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. Presence of spores or hyphae is not particularly enlightening save in very high concentrations, in which it may be taken as an indicator of recent contact with rotting material, particularly vegetal, or any damp environment rich in oxygen and organic matter.
Another class of molds which likely offer no particular pathogenic threat but which nonetheless may be easily recognised and therefore used as a marker may be found in organic-rich soils and on plant surfaces. It is recognisable particularly in the latter instance by its delicate white sporangiophores and transparent, round sporangia, which upon microscopic examination display typical conidiae but which to the naked eye appear more like droplets of liquid suspended at various points along the sporangiophore, similar to dew on the stem of a plant. Its spores may be distinguished by their somewhat oblong shape. Again, this species is sufficiently common to be of note for that characteristic alone, though its presence is not necessarily enlightening.
Of more interest is a filamentous fungus found almost exclusively on spoiled animal products or biological by-products such as animal dung. Its presence may be read as indicative of contact with livestock or livestock enclosures, and it is easily recognizable in culture by its largely transparent, slime-like appearance, consisting of branches from which sporangiophores grow. In colouration it may be a transparent white, yellow, or black, and can be difficult to cultivate outside of its natural habitats, due to its sensitivity to environmental changes. As such, any traces of this fungus or its characteristic conidal spores are of immediate note.
Perhaps the most specific example yet uncovered is a pin mould identifiable by its long, red, hair-like sporangiophores and its irregularly globular spores. It grows exclusively on other fungi, specifically mushrooms, which themselves have been noted growing solely on rotting wood. Presence of its spores or hyphae on a trouser leg, for example, may be taken as almost certain proof that the wearer has recently spent time in a heavily wooded area – moreover, an area in which fallen trees are permitted to decay naturally rather than being cleared away, thereby indicating a natural forest rather than a park.
-- Due to time constraints and recent events, a comprehensive survey has not been possible.
SH
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