Fungi Walk

I took a long walk around the Chestnut Hill and Newton area this past week. We had some great weather, about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, and we had an excellent breeze going by. I was very surprised to find so many types of lichen on the trees in the area! Normally, when we think of lichen, we just think of crusty green blobs on tree bark. However, on closer inspection, I was able to find Common Greenshield Lichen, Sunken Disk Lichen, Gold Dust Lichen, and Fluffy Dust Lichen. They all appear slightly different both in color and texture. In addition, the sunken disk lichen is found mostly on rocks, which is exactly where I found it. Someone had left a muffin out in the Newton woods near the cemetery, and it was full of trichoderma fungi... A little gross, but still worth noting.

I included the Crisped Pincushion even though it is a plant. I was pleased to find lots of moss examples on my walk as well.

Posted on October 8, 2020 08:26 PM by lfaitar