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.

LInk to Lycogala epidendrum:

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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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