The Eastern Wahoo is one of the handful of idiosyncratic plants that defy the general greyness of November. Also called “burning bush,” it is native to the Midwest, and gets the name Wahoo from the Dakota language, in which it means “Arrow-wood.” (“Wahoo” is also the name of a tropical game fish, and a CreekContinue reading “Wahoos and Other November Color”
Tag Archives: hiking
Halloween Botany: Witch-Hazel
Witch-hazel is fall/winter bloomer, just like the orchids I covered a while back. Perhaps this is part of what makes it “witchy.” In fact, though folk etymologies attribute the name to its use in divining or dowsing, the Online Etymology Dictionary notes that the “witch” in Witch-hazel probably doesn’t come from the common use ofContinue reading “Halloween Botany: Witch-Hazel”
Three Swampy Species: The Cardinal Flower, Buttonbush, and Arrowhead
In Indiana at least, forests are actually one of the best preserved habitats. Forests are “multiple-use” spaces — they can be used for hunting, logging, and hiking — and so there is an economic incentive to preserve them. In contrast, wetlands tend to be less well preserved because they don’t produce a salable product likeContinue reading “Three Swampy Species: The Cardinal Flower, Buttonbush, and Arrowhead”
Mushroom Lingo #7: Mycorrhizal
Like “veil,” this word is always a spelling challenge for me, although probably with better reason. Mycorrhizal is pronounced “MY-ko-RYE-zal.” It comes from the Greek words for fungus (“myco”) and root (“rhiza”). A mushroom is mycorrhizal, as opposed to saprobic or parasitic, when it depends on a symbiotic relationship with a plant for survival. InContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #7: Mycorrhizal”
Photo Recap: My First Online Mushroom Foray
What is an online mushroom foray, you say? It’s actually not an experience unique to the pandemic, and it’s not hunting virtual mushrooms. You go mushroom hunting like normal, only you document your finds a little more carefully and upload them online. They last for a certain period of time, this one a week, andContinue reading “Photo Recap: My First Online Mushroom Foray”
In the Spotlight: The Chicken Fat Mushroom
The Chicken Fat Mushroom, or Suillus americanus, has a doubly interesting name. Firstly, why “Chicken Fat”? I think it’s an incredibly apt name, given the overall slimy/tackiness of the mushroom and these fat-like globules that seem to coagulate around the base: And secondly, there is the specific name “americanus.” What makes this mushroom American? MostContinue reading “In the Spotlight: The Chicken Fat Mushroom”
Mushroom Lingo #5: Slime Veil
Yet another kind of veil! The good news is after three posts (partial veil, universal veil, and now slime veil) I think I’ve finally figured out how to spell it: v-e-i-l. The spelling of the word is to me almost as strange as the thing itself. A slime veil is basically a kind of universalContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #5: Slime Veil”
Mushroom Lingo #4: Universal Veil
Building off of last week’s discussion of partial veils, let’s talk the UNIVERSAL VEIL… A universal veil is a membrane that fully covers the immature bodies of certain mushrooms. Sometimes it makes them look like they are bursting out of eggs: As they mature, the universal veil disintegrates. How it disintegrates is what you wantContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #4: Universal Veil”
Earthstars and Coral Fungi
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to spot two fungi I would never have noticed if I hadn’t specifically been looking for mushrooms. Which would have been a shame, because they’re both pretty cool. The first, above, is Ramaria formosa (most likely), distinctive for its pink branches with yellow tips. Unlike one of the other coralContinue reading “Earthstars and Coral Fungi”
Mushroom Lingo #3: Partial Veil
“Partial veil” is a rather mysterious, almost existential, name for a thin covering of the gills or pores on the underside of a mushroom’s cap. You are actually much more familiar with partial veils than you realize, because Agaricus bisporus, the supermarket button mushroom features one. As the mushroom gets older, the partial veil disintegratesContinue reading “Mushroom Lingo #3: Partial Veil”
recycled paper clips 