May 24th

May 24th
Fungi:
We saw several different types of mushrooms. One was Artists Conk Ganoderma applanatum which is a shelf fungus. They grow horizontally and they can get really large. When you put pressure on the bottom part of them the area becomes permanently brown so you can leave messages! This type of fungus is parasitic and may have been the cause of death for the tree we saw it was growing on.
We saw turkey tail Trametes versicolor, which has a distinctive turkey tail shape. It has an interesting texture, as some parts are fuzzy while others are not and it goes in an alternating pattern. Turkey tails grow horizontally so if they begin growing on a fallen log and that log gets disturbed, the ones that initially started growing will not do as well as the newer ones that grew after the disturbance.
We saw Laccaria laccata (the Deceiver) which really just made me think of Pandemic 2.5, but I digress. This fungus is a primary succession, so the fact that we found it in UBNA means that the area is doing well and is “returning” to a natural state. One way to determine that it is indeed Laccarai laccata is to smell it apparently it smells like semen.

Forbs:
I did a tour for this section of class but here are my notes from my speech.
Forbs are:
Rather loosely defined term normally refers to

Herbaceous flowering plant, other than a grasses/sedges/rushes
Over 1,100 different species of wildflowers in WA state
COMMON VETCH Vicia Sativa
Native to Europe (introduced for agricultural purposes) – naturalized in US (hardy grower)
Nitrogen fixing legume
Commonly considered a weed
Currently used as livestock fodder, or in Green Manure
Fruit is in a legume pod (seeds are potentially toxic)
Part of human diet since Roman times (definite) evidence of cultivation in early neolithic sites and ancient egypt as well.
Annual herb
Vine wraps around nearby plants
THMBLEBERRY (Salmonberry) Rubus Parviflorus
(rose family)
Native to western and northern North America
Extensive range (found in Alaska and north-south mexico)
Herbaceous plant
Does well in disturbed areas
Grows along roadsides, forest clearings
Early part of ecological succession after forest fires
Fruits are larger/flatter/softer than raspberries (young shoots are edible as well)
(not a true berry)
Fully ripen, turning bright red in late summer
Not cultivated commercially (don’t pack or ship well)
Safe to eat wild (raw or dried) and are often made into jams
Often find them at local farmers markets
Used in hair products and herbal baths
Native americans used this plant for medicinal purposes and are still used today
Used to treat some kinds of skin disorders
Leaves when mashed up and heated can be used to cure/sooth wounds and burns
Leaf powder can be sprinkled on cuts to reduce scarring
Leaves and flowers can be used to treat stomachaches
Roots and bark can be used to help treat diarrhea and dysentery

Have been used to treat toothaches
Very easy and simple jam recipe
Equal parts berry and sugar
Boil for 2 minutes

Posted on June 5, 2012 06:57 AM by mhf5