May 24th - Fungi/Forbs

Location - Union Bay Natural Area
Weather - somewhat warm, partly cloudy, mid 60s
Time -1:30-3:10

This was the second day of class tours, starting off with the fungi group. We were split into sections and taken to different locations around UBNA. The first mushroom we looked at was called leratiomyces percevalii, which had a purplish spore print and was string like. This was growing in the sawdust by the water, and prefers urban environments. Next we looked at parasata plicates, or the Japanese Parasol Mushroom. This one is short lived, only lasting 24 hours after it has rained.There were also going to be some orange jelly mushrooms that look like salmon eggs, but they only show up after previous rain, where they swell up.The next station discussed the history of mushrooms, how they have always been feared, and have symbiotic relationships with over 90% of species . Also, wood chips on campus carry spores from all over the world, and have the potential to introduce a multitude of species. The next station discussed mycorrhorizal relationships, where the glucose and sucrose travel to the roots of a plant where it absorbs it in the mycellium. We looked at a highly poisonous "fiberhead" mushroom that can cause cardiac arrest, a turkey tail which grow in shelves and often used in medicinal tea, and lecaria, which can form on the roots of plants. Next we saw an artists conk, the third biggest type of mushroom, which is very common and is a white rot decomposer. Finally, we saw sterium, which are known as bleeders or nonbleeders, and hypoxilin, a black mushroom that looks like lava rocks, and trimedes.

The next group was forbs. We looked at white clover, a nonnative trileaf plant that is edible and often used for livestock, can grow in a variety of temperatures, and should not be ingested if damaged or wilted because it can cause cellular asphyxiation. Next we looked at tall buttercup, which can grow up to three feet and is a non native weed of concern. Next we drank dandelion wine and learned that most of the "wildflowers" on campus have actually been introduced. We talked about skunk cabbage, which can actually generate its own heat. Finally, we learned about vetch and thimbleberry, an edible plant which can be used for jam and also for medicinal purposes.

Posted on June 5, 2012 11:21 AM by ashersh