Houghton Garden (Sept. 30, 2020)

McClain and I walked to Houghton Garden from BC's main campus at around 11:10 am. It was raining before we got there, but it stopped pretty quickly. It was cloudy and humid. So the forest was quite damp. Since the theme of this week was fungi, we tried out best to find fungi. We saw a lot of lichens (which consists of a symbiotic relationship between fungi filaments and algae) on trees. I found two organisms that looked like different types of mold, but it was hard to figure out what exactly they were didn't have very distinctive forms. Later, we also found a few mushrooms on a tree on the way back to campus. (Strangely, we couldn't find any when we were in the forest but found some on a tree next to the sidewalk).

Side note/"Fun" Fact: McClain and I saw a dead rat decaying in the middle of Houghton Garden.

Posted on October 1, 2020 03:25 AM by joannafolta joannafolta

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 11:41 AM EDT

Description

These are actually fruit with seeds in them, and they fall in the autumn season.

Photos / Sounds

What

Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 11:41 AM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Mosses (Phylum Bryophyta)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 11:43 AM EDT

Description

These are visually similar to shingle moss.

Photos / Sounds

What

European Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 11:44 AM EDT

Description

European lily of the valley with fruit

Photos / Sounds

What

Athyrium Sect. Athyrium (Section Athyrium)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 11:48 AM EDT

Description

This particular fern had spores on the backside.

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Striated Feather-Moss (Eurhynchium striatum)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 11:51 AM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Haircap Moss Family (Family Polytrichaceae)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 11:53 AM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Muscoid Flies (Superfamily Muscoidea)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 04:00 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Beech Scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 12:01 PM EDT

Description

I'm not so sure about what kind of mole is on this tree. However, it looks like the tree has beech bark disease which is caused by insects and allows for fungi to infest the tree.

Fungi

Photos / Sounds

What

Fungi Including Lichens (Kingdom Fungi)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 12:04 PM EDT

Description

It's hard to tell what sort of species this is. However, I think it may be mold growing on a decomposing tree. (It may also be a type of slime mold, which is different from fungi)

Photos / Sounds

What

Geometer Moths (Family Geometridae)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 12:05 PM EDT

Description

This organism seems to be the larvae of a geometer moth.

Photos / Sounds

What

Dryad's Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus)

Observer

joannafolta

Date

September 30, 2020 04:17 PM EDT

Description

This was at the base on a tree.