I have a bunch of these odd, branching stems, no leaves. They range from 6 to 12 inches tall and have been growing rather happily without leaves like this for about 10 months.

They came from the seeds of this plant

which, in the past, have produced plants true to the seed parent.
Obviously, something really wacky is going on with these seedlings. Interestingly, they are all the same.
I have never seen anything like it--

How about any of you? Any ideas what these mutant-franken-plants are?

That sure looks to me like Whisk Fern (Psilotum nudum) I first found this plant growing in one of my container plants about ten years ago and was told it's one of the oldest plants on earth. You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...

I dug some out of a pot a few years ago and took pictures of the roots:

It makes me think of some of the rhipsalis. Are you sure it was Asparagus Fern seed? Could it have been mislabeled?

We cross posted Lin.
Cool plant, and it does look similar to dirtdorphins plant.

I still on occasion find it sprouting in with other plants ... it's something I've never planted but it's a Florida native and found in many places in the state so I'm assuming the spores are already in the soil.

Very interesting Lin.

Oh wow--it really does kinda look like that!

Now, the big question is --is it even possible to get something like skeleton fork fern from asparagus fern???
How related are they? There was also a generic Asparagus setaceus type in another container about three feet away from the foxtail fern on the porch during the summer of seed-making...

Yes--I am certain that it was the asparagus fern seed --no mislabeling--because I personally took the dried seeds off of my asparagus fern plant and 'sowed' them among the roots of a ficus tree in the pot where these are growing. I didn't put any other seeds in there and I didn't have any other seeds to confuse them with. The potting soil is/was oldish--didn't add any at the time or since. The ficus I have had for about 15 yrs--last repotted the ficus three years ago, along with several other plants, none of which have sprouted this weird fern thing--except for the ficus pot where I put the asparagus fern seeds.
And I have no possible way to account for 'Floridian spores' or greenhouse weeds making their way to my potted ficus...but if these are Psilotum nudum, and they come from spores not seeds, then something strange has happened I suppose and it is just a bizarre coincidence that these are growing where I put asparagus fern seeds

Here are some really interesting photos of Psilotum nudum.
https://www.google.com/search?...

I don't really know if it could be Psilotum ... that's just what it reminded me of.

This is really quite fascinating...it does have triangular stems...no little yellow spore packet nodules--yet...and I am trying to resist the urge to extract one to see if it has roots...

I found some additional information on P. nudum: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/p...

I don't know where you live but this map shows the distribution of P. nudum in the U.S.: http://www.efloras.org/object_... There are many wholesale nurseries in Florida that ship plants to garden centers and nurseries all over the country so I suppose the spores could have traveled in that manner and took up residence in the container with your Asparagus.

This would be so much easier to wrap my head around if I had not 'planted' the dang asparagus fern seeds in there
Lin, I think you are right on the ID!

I am in Northern Utah, so my volunteers came from somewhere besides my local environment.
The ficus itself could have likely come from a tropical area long ago, along with some spores...
This plant has an interesting, alternating life-cycle--the above ground sporophytic phase and the underground gametophytic phase. I don't know how long "eventually" is, (as in "Eventually, the gametophyte reaches sexual maturity, producing both egg and sperm cells. The multiflagellate sperm swim to the egg cells, where they unite to begin the sporophyte generation.") but I suppose that it is quite possible that it could have taken quite a while for spores to germinate and for gametes to get together. Maybe when I repotted the ficus, I stirred up some resting spores and improved their conditions somehow (such that the sperm could swim? or that necessary mycorrhizal fungi developed?).
There is also an aloe and a purple tradescantia that have been growing along with this ficus, too. I don't know where they originated from but I got them from cutting propagations done in MN many years ago and the asparagus fern also from the greenhouse where I used to work in MN. We did not have this cool fern as a greenhouse weed there! And I have a ton of other houseplants that came from somewhere originally, right? Who knows where? Most of them are quite old, though, so it's hard to make a case for any sort of "new spore contamination''. And of the few newer plants that I have, it's hard to figure how any of them--not sporting any sporophytes-- could transfer a bunch of spores to only to the potted ficus that they have no proximity to and not any of the other plants that they are more associated with.
I was in Florida a couple of winters ago for a convention. I will confess that I spent a lot more time indulging myself with all of the plants around me than going to the sessions...maybe I brought some spores home and gave them to the ficus

Anyway, this little bonus weed is cool. I am going to let it grow and hope that it makes some spores and then see what happens!
I may regret that later, like so many of the other stupid things I do but I am so very curious

I find it a very interesting adventure.

dirtdorphins said:I was in Florida a couple of winters ago for a convention.

LOL, maybe the spores were wafting about in the Florida breeze and attached themselves to your clothes for a trip back north.

I think Lin has solved the mystery.

:rofl:
Quite possibly the most parsimonious explanation

dirtdorphins said: I will confess that I spent a lot more time indulging myself with all of the plants around me than going to the sessions...maybe I brought some spores home and gave them to the ficus

Sounds like a good explanation to me.

Psilotum nudum is one of the most ancient and widespread of Fern Allies. It can be found in most any warm habitat. It's spores constantly rain on the Earth.

In the Pacific Islands a tonic tea is made by drying and making a decoction from the whole plant.

http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology...

http://janelle.commcourt.com/P...

http://www.nativeplants.hawaii...

http://www.somemagneticislandp...

Interesting thread
I learn so much here

Wow.