Mushroom: Old Man Of The Woods (Strobilomyces floccopus)

Old Man Of The Woods mushrooms are easy to recognize at a distance

These are boletes that have pores, rather than gills, on the underside of the cap. 

September 16th, 2014 

Mushroom: Old Man Of The Woods (Strobilomyces floccopus) 

Walton County, Georgia

Yellow Things… Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris) and Maryland Goldenaster (Chrysopsis mariana)

September 18^th, 2014. Camphorweed is one of the most common wildflowers along the roadside in our area. So I was a little surprised when I noticed another yellow daisy like wildflower; this turned out to be Maryland Goldenaster. 

Camphorweed

Maryland Goldenaster

Camphorweed

Maryland Goldenaster

The flowers look similar.  

 

Camphorweed

Camphorweed

Maryland Goldenaster

The leaves are quite different. The leaves of the Maryland Goldenaster are ovoid and regular in shape. The leaves of Camphorweed are irregular both when young, and older

Older. 

If in doubt, it’s easy to distinguish Camphorweed by crushing a leaf which will release a strong fragrance of camphor.

Blazing-star (Liatris sp.)

September 18^th, 2014 

Blazing-star (Liatris sp.) 

Walton County, Georgia

Climbing Hempvine (Mikania scandens)

September 18^th, 2014

Climbing Hempvine (Mikania scandens)

Walton County, Georgia

Mushroom: Fragile Dapperling (Leucocoprinus fragilissimus)

September 16th, 2014. This is the first time I have seen this mushroom. Several emerged in the leaf litter on the shoulder of the roadway under an oak tree.

A fully developed mushroom

As they age, the cap becomes very concave

Identification resource:  

- iNaturalist.org: Fragile Dapperling (Leucocoprinus fragilissimus)

- Alan Cressler: Leucocoprinus fragilissimus 

Rough Mexican Clover/Florida Pusley (Richardia scabra)

September 16^th, 2014.  Virginia Buttonweed (Diodia virginiana) has been blooming along the roadside for a couple of months so I’ve had a tendency to ignore small white flowers.

 

Virginia Buttonweed (Diodia virginiana)

And then, plants with small white flowers caught my attention and I had discovered a patch of Rough Mexican Clover also called Florida Pusley (Richardia scabra) – another wildflower I had never seen before.

Rough Mexican Clover (Richardia scabra)

Rough Mexican Clover (Richardia scabra)

Rough Mexican Clover (Richardia scabra)

Rough Mexican Clover (Richardia scabra)

Identification resource:

- Southeastern Flora: Richardia scabra (Rough Mexican Clover/Florida Pusley)

Mushroom: Yellow Parasol Mushroom (Leucocoprinus birnbaumii/Lepiota lutea)

September 16th, 2014. This is the first time I have seen this mushroom. It was growing in the grass at the edge of the roadway. It is an exquisite lemon-yellow color – just like the photographs I had seen. Apparently it’s not uncommon for this mushroom to turns up in flower pots. 

Identification resource:

- Mushroom Expert: Leucocoprinus birnbaumii