Mushroom Spwaned in Michigan

[Saurabh Malpani]

210. Scientists have recently discovered what could be
the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a
giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of
mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a
single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and
extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a
Michigan forest.


A) extending
B )extends
C )extended
D )it extended
E) is extending


Hi Can someone please explain me the difference between A/C. I see the Code and realize the Modifier "A giant fungus........Michigan.

It has two Modifiers--Spawned and Extended/Extending but I am not able to decide that which is correct.

The OG reads: In C, extended is nonparallel if it is assumed to be a past tense verb form; if it is assumed to be a past participle, it illogically states, as does D, that the filigree extended only in the past.
Why is is illogical to assume that it extended only in the past?--What's wrong with it?

[Saurabh Malpani]

Source is OG 10 # 210

[StaceyKoprince]

Because the "scientists have recently discovered" that it "is" - that is, this is taking place in the present tense. If it could be the largest living organism, now, then it should still be extending.

And, also, if you're not sure... you're supposed to stick with the original meaning of the sentence unless there is something logically wrong with that meaning. And the original meaning is that it is still extending, not that it extended in the past. And there's nothing logically wrong with saying that it is still extending today.