Fun(gi) Forest Flora
This month keep your eyes on the forest floor because it may surprise you. With hot weather and recent rains, it is a perfect time to spot unique mushrooms and flora in full swing. There are two amazing, parasitic specimens that have a place in our hearts – ghost pipes and lobster mushrooms.
Ghost pipes (Monotropa uniflora) are perennial flowers that exist without chlorophyll. This means they appear white instead of green, like most plants. They are considered parasitic because they use the nutrients of surrounding trees and plants to feed themselves. This process of feeding from other plants’ nutrients is not as reliable/efficient as harnessing the power of the sun through photosynthesis. That means these flowers can pop up and disappear within days. Though alien looking, they are native wildflowers. They desire moist forest floors, similar to the ground found in a healthy hemlock/cedar forest. It is important not to harvest ghost pipes because they require such specific growing conditions.
Lobster mushroom (Hypomyces Lactifluorum) is a parasitic fungus that uses Russulas and a few other species as a host. They transform these traditional looking mushrooms into an amazing bright orange mushrooms that resembles the color of a cooked lobster. They attack very common mushroom species and can be found all over the forest floor so Hypomyces is more common than one would imagine. Next time you are in the woods, look for a bright orange thing poking out of the leaf litter.
The summer is full of great surprises if we take the time to appreciate the beauty of nature. Next time it rains, instead of thinking of it as a bummer, get into the woods and see what the forest can produce. You can always level this up by bringing a field guide with you to identify your surroundings. It’s important to use every characteristic to make sure you are confident with your identification.
:)
Aaron and Lily
Information Links
