September 21st, 2012. The next
promising roads after the Coleman River Road and the Tallulah River – Tate City
roads were the Popcorn – Plum Orchard roads, still in Rabun County.
Popcorn Road drops quite steeply
from US-76 and then climbs quite steeply again. When it drops down into the next
valley, the road fords and unnamed creek and curves slightly to the left. The
road then winds its way uphill into an area dominated by rhododentrons and
crossed several times by small creeks; this area is full of springs. When
Popcorn Road met Plum Orchard Road, we continued up Plum Orchard Road. We found
a variety of Fall wildflowers and mushrooms along these roads.
The hillside rose steeply from the
road at one point along Plum Creek Road. A little way up the slope we spotted a
magnificent cluster of mushrooms. In addition to the steepness of the slope, it
was covered with leaves which made it slippery. But this was a photo op too
good to miss.
The main cluster
There was a minor cluster to the
right. I scrambled my way up the slope to it and perched
precariously to take photos of these mushrooms. A close-up view of mushrooms in
the minor cluster.
And then I concentrated on the
major cluster.
The complete cluster…
The buttons on the left
A closer view of the cluster of
opened mushrooms. The caps of the largest among them was easily 7 to 8 inches
in diameter.
A closer view of the largest caps.
Originally, I identified them as a Pholiota species based on
the prominent annulus (ring) and the scaly stems but… I've revised this identiification ot Armillaria mellea based on photographs published by the Ohio Mushroom Society.
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