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Aclonal colony orgenet is a group ofgenetically identical individuals, such asplants,fungi, orbacteria, that have grown in a given location, all originatingvegetatively, notsexually, from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in such a population is referred to as aramet. Infungi, "individuals" typically refers to the visiblefruiting bodies ormushrooms that develop from a commonmycelium which, although spread over a large area, is otherwise hidden in thesoil. Clonalcolonies are common in many plantspecies. Although many plantsreproduce sexually through the production ofseed,reproduction occurs by undergroundstolons orrhizomes in some plants. Above ground, these plants most often appear to be distinct individuals, but underground they remain interconnected and are all clones of the same plant. However, it is not always easy to recognize a clonal colony especially if it spreads underground and is also sexually reproducing.
With mostwoody plants, clonal colonies arise by wide-rangingroots that at intervals send up newshoots, termedsuckers.Trees andshrubs withbranches that may tend to bend and rest on the ground, or which possess the ability to formaerial roots can form colonies vialayering, or aerial rooting, e.g.willow,blackberry,fig, andbanyan. Somevines naturally formadventitious roots on theirstems that take root in the soil when the stems contact the ground, e.g.ivy andtrumpet vine. With other vines, rooting of the stem where nodes come into contact with soil may establish a clonal colony, e.g.Wisteria.Ferns and manyherbaceousflowering plants often form clonal colonies via horizontal underground stems termedrhizomes, e.g. ostrich fernMatteuccia struthiopteris andgoldenrod. A number of herbaceous flowering plants form clonal colonies via horizontal surface stems termedstolons, or runners; e.g.strawberry and manygrasses. Non-woody plants with undergroundstorage organs such asbulbs andcorms can also form colonies, e.g.Narcissus andCrocus. A few plant species can form colonies via adventitiousplantlets that form on leaves, e.g.Kalanchoe daigremontiana andTolmiea menziesii. A few plant species can form colonies via asexual seeds, termedapomixis, e.g.dandelion.[citation needed]
The only known natural example ofKing's Lomatia (Lomatia tasmanica) found growing in the wild is a clonal colony inTasmania estimated to be 43,600 years old.[1]
A group of 47,000Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) trees (nicknamed "Pando") in theWasatch Mountains,Utah, United States, has been shown to be a single clone connected by the root system. It is sometimes considered the world'slargest organism bymass, covering 106 acres (43 ha), and also as among the world's oldest living organisms, at an estimated 14,000 years old.[2]
Another possible candidate foroldest organism onearth is an underwater meadow of themarine plantPosidonia oceanica in theMediterranean Sea, which could be up to 100,000 years of age.[3]
When woody plants form clonal colonies, they often remain connected through the root system, sharing roots, water andmineral nutrients. A few non-vining, woody plants that form clonal colonies areBigelow oak (Quercus sinuata var.breviloba),[4]quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides),bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica),black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia),creosote bush (Larrea tridentata),bladdernut,blueberry (Vaccinium),devil's club (Oplopanax horridus),forsythia,hazelnut (Corylus),honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos),Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus),kerria (Kerria japonica),pawpaw (Asimina triloba),poplars (Populus),sassafras (Sassafras albidum),sumac (Rhus), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), andsweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus).[citation needed]
