Looks like a nice redskin potato!

+oM

Maybe a lignotuber?

Resin

WATCH OUT !!

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Jaro, those movies are classic. Hopefully I don't start having abdominal pains in a few days . . .

Is this species known to form woody growths on the root system like this?

Resin, you say it may be a lignotuber. Other species producing a lignotuber can resprout from the tuber if the above ground portion of the plant is destroyed. Do you think this is possible with this one too?

Looks like a burl; I don't know if they're common on Sequoiadendron or not, but as it's growing off the taproot, I'd say it's a burl resulting from an injury to the root. Were it mine, I'd cut it off, making sure to keep some roots attached, and pot it protruding from the soil to see if it sprouts. I used to have a rooted Sequoia sempervirens burl until some jerk dumped it out of the pot and killed it.

Those are galls caused by the crown-gall bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Don't worry about it.

I was thinking Red Potato, too.

Fried Potatos:

Red Potato, cut into 2" by 1/8" strips
Diced onion
Diced Pepper
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Paprika

Heat olive oil in pan
add potatos, onion, and green pepper
Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes
Add salt, pepper and paprika
stir, cover and cook until desired tenderenss (about 15 minutes)

;-)

That's an awesome recipe for potatoes, I have one quite similar.

pinetree30, I think you're dead on with the crown-gall bacterium. Everything I read online matches this disease. The tree hasn't been doing very well the past two growing seasons. Being stressed probably made it more vulnerable to this apparently ubiquitous soil bacterium.

Thanks all for the help. I'm going to see if it gets much bigger. If so, I'm going to remove it and let it dry. If it has an interesting grain pattern, I'll throw it on the lathe and make something out of it!

If you microwave the sliced potatoes first they spend less time in the pan...for me that means less of a chance to burn...

Barbara

Funny how this became this became a potato recipe thread... I agree with Barbara, are you saying you are frying raw potatoes or have they been boiled/baked first some?

Maybe it is a dinosaur egg that has been imprinted in the Redwood genetic code to start being reproduced by Sequoiadendron once the planet warmed to a certain level, signaling the end of the age of mammals and angiosperms. That would be cool.

More potatoes: Cut red-skinned potatoes, sweet potatoes and onion into 3/4" chunks, toss with olive oil and spread in single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper. Roast at 450*F for approximately half an hour, or till tender and edges are slightly browned. Sprinkle liberally with chopped fresh parsley before serving. I doubt this recipe would work well on Sequoia gall, though..... ;)

About the potatoes....

I just peel them and cut them with this:
http://www.pannomagico.it/gif/nicer.jpg (mine isn't exactly that brand....I got mine on QVC)
No pre-cooking...and mine never burn. Stir/turn often. We LOVE these, but like silvervista said of her recipe, I doubt my recipe would work well on a Sequoia gall, either.

Her recipe reminds me of my potato recipe for the grill;

Cut new potatoes into large cubes. Peel and chop carrots, onion (or what ever veggies you prefer). Place a handfull or two of veg mix onto heavy foil (or double layer of thin foil), top with tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Fold foil around the veggies to form a tight packet. Place on hot grill, turning often. I cook mine for about 15 minutes BEFORE I start the meat (pork chops or chicken breasts) and they are finished cooking at about the same time.

I wrap up individual portions and everybody gets their own packet of veggies.

Yum. Again....probably not so good with Sequoia galls. lol

Sorry to bore those who aren't interested in the potatoes.. I was just joking around but wanted to follow up for those that had questions about them. :-)