Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa (Round-lobed Hepatica)

March 10^th.  The ‘last’ wildflower I was looking for at the Oconee Heritage Park (OHP) was the Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa). 

This species, H. nobilis, which has three-lobed leaves, has two varieties: H. nobilis var obtusa, the Round-lobed Hepatica, and H. nobilis var acuta, the Acute-lobed Hepatica. The Round-lobed Hepatica occurs in our area; the Acute-lobed Hepatica does not. As the scientific and common names imply, the leaves of the Round-lobed Hepatica have rounded lobes, and the leaves of the Acute-lobed Hepatica have pointed lobes.

Leaves of the Round-lobed Hepatica persist through winter. Thus, plants can be spotted, by their characteristic leaves, before they bloom in early spring. 

Until visiting OHP, I had found plants in moist environments near creeks or seeps. In OHP, however, I’ve found plants growing high on hillsides and ridges. In each case, they were growing and at the base of a tree on its north side, whether on a north- or south-facing slope. I assume that these spots are shaded during the heat of the day, and retain moisture that supports growth of the plants.

The characteristic round-lobed leaf.

Leaf and flower.

A flower. Flowers are usually a deep, intense purple when they first open, and gradually fade to white as they age.

I finally found the distribution for the Hepatica nobilis varieties. They are widely distributed in the eastern United States and Canada. 

References:

- Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa 

- Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Hepatica nobilis var. acuta

- Wildflowers of the United States: Anemone americana - Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa) 

- Wildflowers of the United States: Anemone acutiloba - Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. acuta)

Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium)

March 10^th.  Last year, I found Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) plants along the same section of trail where I found the Bloodroot plants. I was early for the geraniums, and only found…

one plant in bloom.

Wild Geranium flowers are a delicate pink, and easy to identify from a distance.

Even when they aren’t in bloom, plants are recognized easily by their distinctive leaf shape. Rather than a few clusters of plants as in the case of the Bloodroot plants, a large area was covered by Wild Geranium plants. It must be quite impressive when all the plants in this area are blooming.

I was too early for the main blooming of these plants but, just the presence of one bloom, lifted the ambience of the area with its leafless trees.

 

References:

- Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium) 

- USDA Plant Database: Geranium maculatum (Spotted Geranium)

Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)

March 10^th. After several encounters with fungi, I reached the section of trail in the Oconee Heritage Park where I had seen a few early spring wildflowers last year. I was a week or so earlier than last year, so I wasn’t sure if I would be too early but… 

I was in luck. I found Bloodroot (Sanguiaria Canadensis) at two locations on the same short section of trail. The name ‘sanguinaria’ comes from the fact that the sap in the stem and roots of this plant is red, and has been used as a dye.

Several flowers were at their peak.

Each flower had its characteristic leaf folded around the base of the flower stem.

A few days later and I would have missed the flowers. Some had already dropped their petals and were starting to form seed capsules.

It’s always delightful to find these plants in the woods. 

References:

- Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Sanguinaria canadensis 

- USDA Plant Database: Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)

Fuscoporia gilva (Mustard Yellow Polypore)

March 10^th.  Still at Oconee Heritage Park (OHP). I found…

these old brackets on a tree by the trail. I knew, from experience, what they were: Fuscoporia gilva (Mustard Yellow Polypore), formerly called Phellinus gilvus. Although these brackets were old, they were quite beautiful.

A close-up of one of the brackets, and its…

pore surface. This fungus has very small pores. 

F. gilva brackets don’t always look like the above as as they age.

I found these older brackets on a fallen log at OHP on the same hike. 

I’ve only found fresh F. gilva with mustard yellow margins on one occasion, at Fort Yargo State Park, where I found them on a…

fallen tree trunk.

The tops of fresh brackets were a deep brown with a mustard yellow margin, hence, their common name, Mustard Yellow Polypore.

Their pore surface was also a deep purple-brown, with…

 

 very fine pores.

The mustard color faded to brown within a week.

Yet another cluster of F. gilva, growing on a tree at the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia, south of Athens, Georgia.

Even very small, developing brackets lacked the mustard yellow margins. They did, however, have very small pores characteristic of this species.

In this area, F. gilva brackets are usually approximately 2 – 2.5 inches wide, but they can grow up to 6 inches wide. They may grow as single, or clusters of overlapping brackets.

References:

- Messiah College: Phellinus gilvus (now Fuscoporia gilva) 

- Discover Life: Phellinus gilvus (now Fuscoporia gilva)

Hedgehog Gall Wasp (Acraspis erinacei)

March 10^th. I was sitting on the ground at the Oconee Heritage Park, photographing some fungi when something caught my eye.

Several of the leaves – White Oak (Quercus alba) leaves – had small ‘furry’ galls on them.

They were approximately 0.5 inches long, and located the central vein on the undersides of the leaves.

A little bit of research identified them as belonging to the Hedgehog Gall wasp (Acraspis erinacei). This wasp has an interesting life cycle. 

Males and females mate in the spring, and the female lays eggs on various white oak species. The hatching eggs irritate cells on the tree, which forms a gall that protects the as many as five larval cells. The larvae feed and mature in the gall, which becomes the distinctive hedgehog gall. The gall is covered with red hairs when young and ages to the brown gall that I found.

Only female wasps emerge from the galls in the fall and, without mating, lay eggs in the buds. The eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. The larvae develop in a thin-walled ‘blister’ on the inner face of a bud scale appears when the buds open in the spring. Male and female wasps emerge from this gall, mate, and produce the eggs to complete the life cycle. 

References:

- Bug Guide: Acraspis erinacei - Hedgehog Gall Wasp 

- MO Bugs: Hedgehog Gall 

- Backyard and Beyond: Hedgehog Gall

Trichaptum biforme (Violet-toothed Polypore)

March 10^th. On a hillside above a small creek at Oconee Heritage Park, I found a hardwood tree with… 

 

clusters of small bracket fungi at chest height and at its base.

These brackets were similar in size to Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) brackets and had faded to be almost uniformly white.

The undersides of these brackets were dark with age, and had a maze-like appearance but lacking the radial orientation that I’d seen on the Trametes villosa brackets. These brackets were Trichaptum biforme, the Violet-toothed Polypore, yet another Turkey Tail look-alike.

It was a little surprising to find the maze pores still intact. Frequently, the pores of T. biforme break down into…

tooth-like structures. It’s not unusual to find them like this. 

If you’re lucky, you might find young Violet-toothed Polypores. I found these last December at Fort Yargo State Park.

The caps were brown with distinctly purple margins.

Their undersides were also a rich purple, from which they get their common name, Violet-toothed Polypore.

Their pores have a zig-zag appearance.

As they age, the purple margin fades from the caps, and the…

pores lose their purple color.

The key to field identification of Trichaptum biforme, and differentiation from Trametes versiolor, is the characteristic pore surface. Even better, if you find young specimens with the distinctive violet coloration. 

References:

- Michael Kuo, Mushroom Expert: Trichaptum biforme 

- Messiah College: Trichaptum biforme

Trametes villosa

March 10^th. I went over to the Oconee Heritage Park off US-441 south of Bishop, Georgia, to look for early wildflowers that I’d seen last year. I decided to look for fungi in the woods along the way.

I noticed a log with some small, cream-colored bracket fungi that resembled the almost ubiquitous Turkey Tails (Trametes versicolor). These brackets were the same size as T. versicolor, about 1.4 inches across, and ‘paper-thin.’ They were growing in overlapping clusters on the side of, or in rosettes on top of the log. They were a little unusual in being so light colored. I almost dismissed them as being T. versicolor but they were pretty and I stopped to photograph them.

They resembled young…

T. versicolor brackets that I had found at home some years ago. Turkey Tails are identified by the fact that they have distinct zones of color on their caps, and…

white-to-light-tan undersides with small pores (holes).

I took a photo of a cluster on the side of the log, and a…

closeup of one of them, that showed the finely hairy surface characteristic of these small Trametes sp. 

I almost left without photographing the undersides of one of the brackets. In the bright sunlight, I couldn’t really see the detail on the undersides. In fact, it was so bright, that I depended on the camera to focus on the pores without my being able to see them clearly. I didn’t see the pore structure detail until I got home and was processing the images.

I was very surprised, and excited, when I found that they had maze-like pores rather than the near circular pores of T. versicolor. This was the first time that I had found a Trametes sp. like this. It was one of the Turkey Tail ‘look-alikes.’ 

Two Trametes sp., T. villosa and T. pubescens, were suspects. Both are light-colored, without the stronger color zones characteristic of T. versicolor. T. pubescens appear to be sturdy brackets – up to 2.5 inches across and 0.5 inches thick – with angular pores (3-5/mm). T. villosa are described as up to 2.5 inches across, but only a few mm thick, and with pores that elongate as they age.

I have concluded that the brackets I found are T. villosa. This was an exciting find; this species is not reported frequently. I was lucky to find it. And I guess the moral of the find is, always to look at anything slightly out of the usual, and always look, and photograph, the undersides. 

References:

- Michael Kuo, Mushroom Expert: Trametes villosa 

- Michael Kuo, Mushroom Expert: Trametes pubescens 

- Messiah College: Trametes pubscens

Early Spring Wildflowers At Oconee Heritage Park

March 14^th, 2016. I went on a fungus hunt with a couple of mycophiles yesterday, hoping that we’d find some mushrooms after the recent rain. 

We walked along the equestrian trail to the creek and began to work our way back across county.

We explored one of the side drainages, and spent some time accessing areas to the side of one of the trails – circled in blue - that I had walked a couple of weeks ago. This area is a deciduous forest that hadn’t leafed out yet. I hadn’t expected to see many wildflowers but I was to be surprised.

Buckeyes (Aesculus sp.) were leafing and budding out throughout the area. I’m betting most of these are Painted Buckeyes (Aesculus sylvatica); this is a common species in this area. But time will tell…

As I climbed from the creek bottom to the trail running along a ridge, I almost stepped on this Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) plant, looking like a little, lime-green torpedo, just pushing its way out of the ground. Just two plants in this location, in a small ‘gully’ where water ran down the hillside when it rained.

Beside the trail, I found a lone Wlld Geranium (Geranium maculatum) blooming. Judging by the number of geranium leaves in this area, this may be a mini-meadow of geranium blooms before too long. 

On the other side of the trail, down the hill in another small drainage gully, another pair of Mayapple plants making their appearance. 

When I first walked this trail, I’d seen a single Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa) blooming at the base of a tree. This particular plant had finished blooming, but I found…

several plants in full bloom, as well as… 

one that had new buds. 

Another surprise! One of several Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) plants in bloom along this section of trail. 

The final wildflower blooming along this section of the trail was Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum). 

We made our way from the trail back down to the main stream. As I worked my way along the steep hill above the creek, I was rewarded with finding another…

Bloodroot plant in bloom. This one looked like a ‘double.’ 

And finally, back to the main trail that led up the hill and back to the parking lot.

I was surprised by the variety of early wildflowers in this area that, a couple of weeks previously, was a forest floor covered with leaf litter with little sign of herbaceous plant life.

References:

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Aesculus sylvatica 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Podophyllum peltatum 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Geranium maculatum 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Sanguinaria canadensis 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Chrysogonum virginianum