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Extremely Rare
Extremely rare, but they do exist. American Chestnut (Chestanea dentata). Before 1904, this fast growing, tall tree ruled swaths of eastern US forests. I mention the year 1904 because that is when the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) was first discovered at the New York Zoological Gardens. The blight was introduced to the US by…
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A Little Yellow Mushroom
Yellow Unicorn Entoloma (Entoloma murrayi). A cute little mushroom that looks as if it ought to be right next to the Pixie Cup Lichens for the pixies’ and fairies’ enjoyment. A cap that is cone-shaped, or bell-shaped, that is pointed at the top. This pointy top is referred to as an umbo in the fungus…
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Scarlet Berries
July finds them emerald green, blending in with other greens. Not to be noticed by the dedicated hiker. I find them though. The dedicated nature photographer. Understated berries of Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). But come October, contending for attention, in competition with the colorful leaves, the berries have become a brilliant shade of scarlet. Maybe even…
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Slowly Slowly
Slowly, slowly, autumn’s full blown color palette is creeping in. Right now it is: “Oh! Look at that tree!” Not a hillside of color but just a few leaves here and there turning with all their might to a spectacle of hues. Changes in a leaf’s world, encourages slowing and stopping of photosynthesis which makes…
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Pixie Cup Lichen
For one with a wild imagination, this lichen is aptly named, Pixie Cup Lichen (Cladonia asahinae). I can just imagine pixies making a collection of these lichens to toast in the Pixie New Year. Pixie Cup Lichen grows on just a few species of mosses, in Europe, North America, South America, and hard to believe,…