Rhizosphere Image Gallery

Root hairs

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The scene belowground


Site (plant species): Arctostaphylos hookeri

Surface roots.


Site (plant species): Baccharis pilularis

This is a zoom image. Notice the root hairs.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Root hairs clear and fully developed.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Zoom in on above.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Root network with hyphal colonization.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Zoom in on above.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Another white root network.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Half zoom...


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Full zoom...


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Full zoom on another root/fungal network. Notice both lateral and vertical roots.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Young root, fine hairs.


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Zoom 1...


Site (plant species): Quercus agrifolia

Zoom 2...


Site (plant species): Genist monspessulana

Detailed lateral branching; notice the web of root hairs or hyphae between branches.


Site (plant species): Genist monspessulana

Nice root hair development on central root branch.


Site (plant species): Genist monspessulana

Zoom in on above...


Site (plant species): Genist monspessulana

Could be more root hairs, but the assymetry suggests that some of those wispy threads may be fungal.


Site (plant species): Genist monspessulana

Nice example of hairy roots...


Site (plant species): Genist monspessulana

Dramatic zoom shot of a dense zone of root hairs. Notice that the densely hairy areas are growing preferentially in certain areas. Perhaps the plant is exploiting localized zones of high nutrient availability.


Site (plant species): Genist monspessulana

Here again we see dense root hairs growing in specific zones on the root surface.


Site (plant species): Eucalyptus sp.

A thick hairy root overlaid with branched young root. Notice the grub at lower left.


Site (plant species): Eucalyptus sp.

Partial zoom on the above root crossover.


Site (plant species): Eucalyptus sp.

Excellent zoom on young root with a clear image of root hairs.


Site (plant species): Pinus torreyana

Zoom in on lateral root branch...notice the fine root hairs.


Site (plant species): Pinus torreyana

Fine roots. Notice the sandy texture of the soil.


Site (plant species): Pinus torreyana

Zoom in on fine roots from above...notice long, wispy web of structures radiating from roots at the right of the screen. These could be root hairs or thick "cables" of fungal hyphae.


Site (plant species): Pinus torreyana

Advanced root hair development.


Site (plant species): Pinus torreyana

Half zoom on above image.


Site (plant species): Pseudotsuga menziesii

Young root with extensive root hair development.


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Branched root with spindly root hairs forming bottle brush-like root structure


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Half zoom on the branched root


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Full zoom of above image


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Centered shot of branched root from above


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Zoom on lower branch


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Bottlebrush


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Rooting "hot spot" with intense lateral branching


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Zoom in 50%


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Zoom full


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

root hairs!!


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

50% zoom


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Full zoom


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Growing root tip


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

50% zoom


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Full zoom


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

This growing root has a "hazy" zone near the tip that could be mistaken for a mycorrhizal fungus.


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

This zoom, however, reveals the incredibly fine root hairs.


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Zoom image 2


Site (plant species): Banksia spinulosa

Zoom image 3


Site (plant species): Protea neriifolia

A blunt root tip with a dense covering of hairs.


Site (plant species): Protea neriifolia

Full zoom on the root tip with characteristic brush-like dense root hairs. This is a classic example of a 'proteoid' root.


Site (plant species): Protea neriifolia

Root hairs


Site (plant species): Salix lasiolepis

Thicks roots with barely-visible hairs.


Site (plant species): Salix lasiolepis

Full zoom on above image, nicely illustrating long root hairs.


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Hairy root...


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Zoom in on above image...nice example of dense root hair development... drought adapted(?)


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Another hairy root. This one, with its substantial girth covered with short root hairs, is reminiscent of the roots of the Protea examined in this study.


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Zoom 1...


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Zoom 2...


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Root junction...


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Full zoom on above...


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Nice zoom on hairy root...


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Very large branched roots, possibly mycorrhizal.


Site (plant species): Fremontodendron californicum

Zoom of above image.