An Unusual Observation with Rhizomorphs

Along the trail at Fern Cliff Nature Preserve I found a fallen log covered with rhizomorphs, presumably of Armillaria fungus.  This is not unusual to find in the woods, but this log had an appearance I had never seen before.  Alongside the rhizomorphs covering the dead log, the wood had long channels seemingly carved into the wood that approximated the look of the rhizomorphs.  Above are photographs of this phenomenon.  The channels appeared to be largely empty but some had some substance resembling rhizomorph.  Would the wood have been eaten away by a rhizomorph and then the fungus itself disappeared?  That's what it looked like. Or were they made by some kind of wood-boring insect?   I haven't ever seen anything like this in the literature.

Above, two closeups of the rhizomorph channels.

Photos from Fern Cliff Nature Preserve, Putnam County, November 11, 2017.

Chimaphila maculata and Mitchella repens

Chimaphila maculata (Striped wintergreen) on the left and Mitchella repens (Partridge berry) on the right.  These leaves stay green all winter.  Their habitat is acid soils, in this case the soil is derived from the sandstone bedrock.

On high ground near the cliff, at Fern Cliff Nature Preserve, Putnam County.  Nov. 11, 2017.

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Brown slime mold

I found this slime mold along the trail at Fern Cliff Nature Preserve, Putnam County.  Possibly it is the brown stage of the wolf's milk slime mold (Lycogala epidendrum). 

Photo taken November 11, 2017.

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Sooty mold on a beech tree

This sooty mold (Scorias spongiosa) on a beech tree was found at Fern Cliff in Putnam County, November 11, 2017.  This is on the high ground, you can see the edge of the cliff in the background.

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Chlorociboria fungus

Chlorociboria fungus stains this fallen wood green.  At Fern Cliff in Putnam County, Nov. 11, 2017.

It's common to see fallen logs in the forest stained green with this fungus but it rarely shows fruiting bodies like we see here.

A closer look at the little blue cup fruiting bodies of the Chlorociboria fungus.

The sandstone here at Fern Cliff has a blue-green color that resembles this, but the Chlorociboria color is from a chemical called xylindein which doesn't have copper in it.  The blue-green color of the sandstone is from copper impurities in the sand.

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Roundleaf dogwood

Roundleaf dogwood (Cornus rugosa).  Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery Co. Along trail near top of Devil's Backbone.

Photo taken June 14, 2017.

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Double rainbow over Lafayette

Photo taken June 19, 2017.

Maidenhair fern

Maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) at Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery County.

Photo taken June 14, 2017.

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Houstonia

Houstonia, possibly Houstonia purpurea var. caerulea.  At Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery County.  On high ground.  Photo taken June 14, 2017.

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Indian cucumber

Indian cucumber (Medeola virginiana).  At Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery Co.

Photos taken June 14, 2017.

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Horsebalm

Horsebalm (Collinsonia canadensis).

At Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery County.  June 14, 2017.

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Broad beech fern

Broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera).

At Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery County.  Along trail leading from Indiana Highway 234 to Turkey Backbone.  June 14, 2017.

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Shining bedstraw

Shining bedstraw (Galium concinnum).

At Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery County.  Along trail leading from Indiana Highway 234 to Turkey Backbone.  June 14, 2017.

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Lopseed

Lopseed (Phryma leptostachya).

At Shades State Park, Montgomery County.  Where trail to Pine Hills Nature Preserve crosses Indiana Highway 234 .  June 14, 2017.

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Alternate-leaved dogwood

Alternate-leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia).

At Pine Hills Nature Preserve, Montgomery County.  Along trail on high ground near Devil's Backbone.  June 14, 2017.

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Heuchera americana in April

Heuchera americana var. hirsuticaulis, at Selma Steele Nature Preserve, Brown County.

Photo taken April 26, 2017.

Close-up of the stipitate-glandular petioles.

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Wild comfrey in April

Wild comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum) at Selma Steele Nature Preserve, Brown County.

Photo taken April 28, 2017.

Close-up view of flower.

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Krigia biflora in April

Two-flowered Cynthia (Krigia biflora) at T.C. Steele Historic Site, Brown County, along roadside.

Photos taken April 26, 2017.

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Trillium flexipes in April

Trillium flexipes at Selma Steele Nature Preserve, Brown County.

A closer look at the recurved stigmas of Trillium flexipes.

Photos taken April 26, 2017.

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Juneberries

Juneberries are coming ripe today.

Running strawberry bush at Happy Hollow Park

Running strawberry-bush (Euonymus obovatus), here at Happy Hollow Park.  Photos taken April 23, 2017.

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American Columbo at Happy Hollow Park

Noticed this growth of American Columbo (Frasera caroliniensis) in Happy Hollow Park near the trolley line trail.  At least one plant seems to be sending up a flowering stalk.

Photos taken April 23, 2017.

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Squawroot

Squawroot (Conopholis americana) in Happy Hollow Park.  Photo taken April 22, 2017.

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Kentucky coffee-trees

Two Kentucky coffee-trees (Gymnocladus dioicus) along the the Obear Millrace Loop Trail, Carroll County.   Kentucky coffee-tree has distinctive bark.

Looking up at the coffee-trees on the trail.

Photos taken April 20, 2017.

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Buckeye tree flowering

Buckeye tree (Aesculus glabra) flowering on the Obear Millrace Loop Trail, Carroll County.
Photo taken April 20, 2017.

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Dutchman's Breeches

Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), in Moyer-Gould Woods, Carroll County.  Photo taken April 19, 2017.

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Wood Anemone and False Rue Anemone

Wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia).

False rue anemone (Enemion biternatum).

These two related species were located close to each other at Moyer-Gould Woods in Carroll County.  Both groups of plants were found near the Tippecanoe River, at the bottom of the trail that leads from the park entrance, only a few steps apart.

Photos taken April 19, 2017.

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Bellwort

Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) at Moyer-Gould Woods, in Carroll County.  This is on the wooded part of the trail leading from the entrance to the Tippecanoe River.   The blue flowers in the background are Phlox divaricata.

Photo taken April 19, 2017.

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Fraxinus in floodplain

A seedling ash tree in a floodplain habitat at Bicentennial Nature Area (Lake Harner County Park).  Probably green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) due to the wet habitat.  This is part of the floodplain of the Wabash River even though it is fairly far from the river.  Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is dominant here.  The only other mature size trees seen here are a few ash trees (Fraxinus) and all these mature ash trees appear to be completely dead, presumably because of the emerald ash borer.  A dead mature ash tree is in the center background of the photo.  The Fraxinus population here may persist if these seedling trees can survive long enough to produce more ash seeds.

Photo taken April 16, 2017.

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Pokeweed is coming up

Pokeweed shoots are starting to appear.  This photo taken yesterday April 16, 2017.  I've never seen it come up this early, usually I see it coming up around here in the last week in April or first week in May.

This is at the new Bicentennial Park, a Tippecanoe County park that just opened up last week.  The park is an old gravel pit just north of Sagamore Parkway between North 9th St. and Schuyler Avenue.

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Ranunculus ficaria

Lesser celandine, found along the main trail in Happy Hollow Park.  The currently accepted botanical name is Ranunculus ficaria, although a synonym is Ficaria verna.  This species is an invasive and has not been seen in this park before now.

Photos taken April 9, 2017.

A view of the root tubers of Ranunculus ficaria.

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Black squirrel and white-tailed deer

I noticed this squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) with an unusual black color at Catherine Chevalier Woods, which is a Cook County, Illinois forest preserve.  Most squirrels here are the normal gray color.

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A couple white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the same park.  This park has a large population of deer, sometimes you can see as many as a couple dozen in the park.  The heavy deer population contributes to the overgrazing of the woods, the understory is dominated by Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)  The wildlife here is quite used to human beings, one can be walking on the trail here and the deer will just walk by, apparently not bothered by the presence of people.  It's almost like a petting zoo here with the animals.  I've seen a skunk, an opossum, and a pack of raccoons wandering through the woods and parking lots here before.  The woods is close to O'hare airport and has constant noise of aircraft flying low overhead as they approach the airport for a landing.

Photos taken March 11, 2017.

Veronica polita

Veronica polita, now flowering along Swisher Road about a quarter-mile NE of N. 9th St., Tippecanoe County.  Photos taken March 5, 2017.

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