Talk:Clonal colony

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The proper botanical term for plants that reproduce through roots, stolons and tubers thus producing colonies of clonal, connected entities is refered to as a Genet. A ramet is an individual plant within the genet.

Here are a few public articles which illustrate its usage in the botany/ecology community:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2120/is_4_80/ai_54994052

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0022-0477.2004.00878.x?journalCode=jec

http://www.iowalivingroadway.com/ResearchProjects/90-00-LRTF-300.asp

What is more appropriate and helpful to the wikipedia community? Applying the proper specific technical name for a concept (eg. Genet/Ramet) or a more generalized and perhaps more searchable and accessible phrase to describe the concept (eg. Clonal Colony). Would it be a good idea to merge these topics (but then it might prevent inclusion of fungi within the article)?

To be honest, I'm not sure I agree conceptually with inclusion in the same article of clonal fungi which exist most of the time entirely underground as a single mass and populations of clonal plants which exist almost entirely above ground as individual entities except through the interconnectiveness of their roots. The mushrooms we see above the ground are simply the reproductive structure and represent only about 10% of the organism. It is a bias on our part to think of the mushroom as the organism itself. Yes, absolutely, mycelial masses are clonal colonies, but so are bacterial colonies and cells growing in a tissue culture flask as well, but these are distinctly different from plant genets which are remarkable for their implications towards reproductive strategy. Should the botanical information within the Clonal Colony article migrate to the Genet article? I think I would favor this but don't want to step on toes. Paphrag 17:33, 9 December 2006 (UTC)