Journal Entry 3

Time: Monday, October 26th, 2020, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm

Location: The far eastern portion of Ravenna Park in Seattle, WA. 

Temperature: ~48℉

Weather: Generally overcast with little in the way of wind or precipitation. 

This week I noticed a few changes regarding the plants within my observation site on Ravenna Creek. The Vine Maples near the upstream waterfall had begun to turn brown along the margins of their seven lobed leaves, standing in stark contrast to the Bigleaf Maple saplings at the site, which showed little in the way of browning. Despite this, I found some Bigleaf Maple leaves that had fallen onto the ground. They had the unmistakable five lobes of the Bigleaf Maple, being at least eight inches across. Gauging from the size of the leaves I would assume that they came from a more adult tree, as the leaves on the saplings on the stream bank had leaves perhaps half that size in width, being about four inches across at their broadest point. From this one could gather that the older Bigleaf Maples in the surrounding area loose their leaves before the younger individuals, thereby explaining the lack of leaf loss on the saplings and the presence of adult Bigleaf Maple leaves on the site. On my close up shot I also noticed the small cones of the Red Alder, looking not unlike miniature pine cones. The cones came in small bunches with at least one or two cones attached by a woody stem, being about two centimeters in length. They were narrower around the midsection, looking quite like little chocolate eggs. These little cones are apparently called Strobiles, and are the fruiting body that the Red Alder uses to contain its seeds. Considering the great number of Red Alders on the site it is hardly surprising that I find these strobiles on the ground. I guess I was surprised due to my previous assumption that they were cones from some small conifer I did not know about. The mushrooms on the log in my close up shot were still there, though I shall refrain from elaborating upon them too much in this section due to mushrooms being the focus of the latter half of this journal. The appearance of ripped off bark is still present on the outside of the log, and the only major change that I noticed was the increased number of mushrooms on the log, with the ones that had appeared last week growing taller than before. 

My first 1 m^2 shot. One can see the log with moss to the right, the stream to the top right, and the ground cover to the left of the shot. In the middle of the shot one can see the distinctive leaf of the Red Alder next to a bundle of Red Alder strobiles attached by a woody stem. Not much has changed since last week, save for me noticing the strobiles for what they were. One can also see a nice mix of newer and older leaves, just showing how trees, even of the same species, don't always loose their leaves simultaneously, as evidence by the presence of older Red Alder leaves towards the top of the shot, albeit a bit waterlogged from the stream.

My second 1 m^2 shot. I must say that there is still little in the way of insect life in the soil, which is disappointing. If I had to guess I would say that the completely waterlogged nature of the soil makes it less than appealing to invertebrate life, at least the kind that is visible to the naked eye. I dug around a bit, hence why everything is shifted a bit from the last shot. One can still see the Red Alder strobiles in the middle of the shot though. Maybe I did not notice them last week since they had not dropped of the trees yet. I honestly am not sure. 

I did not notice that stark of a change from last week, though just about every tree had turned at least a little more brown, save for the Bigleaf Maple saplings. Looking upstream towards the waterfall one can see that the Vine Maples, as mentioned before, have begun to turn brown, though a significant amount of greenery remains on the trees. Looking downstream one can notice that the Black Cottonwoods have begun to turn a yellowish color, with some of their leaves dropping on the ground downstream. Venturing downstream I encountered what I think were some of the leaves of the Black Cottonwoods laying upon the stream bank. Of course, the one thing that was unmistakable to me as I ventured downstream towards where I usually photograph was the pungent smell of Black Cottonwood sap, having an almost sickly sweet, yet sap-like smell. I recognize my smell from my time as a child, where I would delight in collecting the sappy and smelly leaves, piling them in a heap in indoor areas after I was done collecting by bounty; don't ask why, I was a strange child. At any rate I photographed a couple of the broad, heart shaped leaves, at times still attached to their thick pliable stems. These Black Cottonwood leaves were located exclusively downstream near the stand of trees I always photograph, and the color of the leaves, being a golden yellow color, matched the color of much of the canopy in that area. From these observations I would say that many of the trees downstream are Black Cottonwood trees, in addition to the still largely-green Bigleaf Maples. I also noticed a nice little clump of rushes near the stream, not being more than a foot in height. They had a lack of large leaves and segmentation, and were round in cross section, leading to a narrow tip. I was able to roll them easily between my fingers, and at no point during my handling of the plant did it have a weak spot where it wanted to bend. Both the Black Cottonwood and the rush are plants that I learned about in the past week, helping to explain why I did not note them before. Regarding other flora there were all of the same plants that I noted upon last week, such as the Thimbleberry, Lady Fern and Sword Fern. Of course, I neglected to describe each plant last week despite me providing pictures. To remedy this shortcoming somewhat I shall now proceed to describe a couple species that I did not include last week. Granted, I did not photograph these species, though I feel that is hardly necessary considering how many photos of these species I have already provided. For this post I shall give a more detailed description of the Sword Fern. I know, I know, everyone already knows what a Sword Fern looks like; you can hardly walk a few meters in the local forests without somehow encountering one. Still, they are a large fern, sometimes growing is bushels several feet high. The leaves are long and compound, like all ferns, and the blades attache to the central stalk by a narrow point, giving the blades the shape of a kitchen knife, with the hilt of the knife being where the leaflet attaches to the stalk. The leaflets are long, lead to a narrow point and are serrated. On the underside of the leaflets are two rows of brownish pollen pods that can rubbed off and used for various purposes. I've always used the pollen from the Sword Fern as a sort of ointment for insect bites and plant stings, though that might just be an old bit of folk medicine that I picked up from the Scouts. Regarding fauna, I did not notice any squirrels or mice, though there were plenty of birds that I could hear in the area. The most prominent of these calls was short and had a rising tone that started off low and rose quickly. I still have not learned bird calls, meaning that the only bird I could recognize was the American Crow, which I did not see despite hearing its distinctive rough call.

Forgot to mention this little guy in my main section. This is a Low Orgeon-Grape. One can tell it is a Low Oregon-Grape due to there being more than nine leaflets, which is the maximum number of leaflets for the Tall Orgeon-grape. In addition to this, the leaflets are significantly less shiny than the Tall-Orgeon-grape. All Oregon-grapes have these distinctive barbed leaves, appearing somewhat like the leaves of the English holly, though in the case of the Low Orgeon-grape these leaflets are less shiny and less significantly hooked. The leaves on the English Holly are not compound, distinguishing that invasive plant from our vaguely similar native species.

In the center one can see the little clump of rushes I mentioned, being round in cross section with no segmentation, as well as a Black Cottonwood leaf to the left with its distinctive heart shape and pungent smell. The stream is at the top of the shot.

50 m^2 shot of the downstream meanders. The Black Cottonwoods in the shot have begun to turn yellow, contributing to the far more yellow looking canopy this week when compared to last week. One can also see Western Red Ceders at both the right and left of the shot, as well as the Bigleaf Maples, appearing as the greener trees in the canopy. The bare trees are the Red Alders, which have largely lost their leaves by this point.

Picture of the Vine Maples above the upstream waterfall. The leaves have just begun to turn yellow and brown around the edges of the seven lobed leaves. One can also see a Lady Fern in this shot, with that distinctive feathery appearance and generally diamond shaped profile of the frond; Bracken Ferns, which look vaguely similar, lack that diamond profile and have a far more triangular appearance, as well as a tall stem that the fronds branch off of.

50 m^2 shot of the upstream waterfall. One can see the Vine Maples in the background beginning to turn yellow, as well as the Bigleaf Maple saplings hanging over the river towards the bottom of the shot.

Now onto the fungi. For this journal I was instructed to take note of at least six difference species of fungi, including mushrooms and lichen, and describe them and their habitat in detail, as well as provide quality pictures of the fungi in question. In addition to this I was permitted to roam outside of my observation area a bit. As such, I also made note of fungi that I saw on my way down to my observation site next to the stream, meaning that some of the species I describe grow in drier and more upland areas. In particular, I found a great number of lichen on a stand of Beaked Hazelnut located farther up the gorge away from the stream. On this Beaked Hazelnut I found numerous examples of Bristly Beard Lichen, a shrub lichen that is a few centimeters high. This lichen's scientific name is Usnea hirta, with the Usnea genus containing all of the so called beard lichens. Like all beard lichens, the Bristly Beard Lichen is shrub-like, being classified as a fruticose lichen, or the group that contains all of the shrub-like and hairy lichens. The Bristly Beard Lichen has a light blue-green color due to the algae that forms a symbiotic relationship with the fungus, providing the lichen with food whilst the algae receives protection from the elements. Like all lichens in the Usnea genus, all of the smaller branches and hairs are attached to a sturdy central stem as opposed to branching out of a central base. Many beard lichens are either semi-erect or hand off of branches; in this instance I found this Bristly Beard Lichen hanging off of a Beaked Hazelnut branch, along with a whole host of other lichen I will get into later. This example is very young, hence why the central stem is visible but not extremely pronounced. As Bristly Beard Lichens get older they have a tendency to hang off of branches, but this little guy was only a centimeter or two tall, giving a clearer view of the shrub-like branching pattern Usnea lichens and fruticose lichens in general are known for. The branching is very fine and bristly, with there being a lack of bulbs or growths on the ends of the stalks, with stalks instead ending in fine bristles, hence the name of Bristly Beard Lichen. The Beaked Hazelnut this lichen was located on was growing near the top of the gorge in a dryer, more well-drained, and more open area towards the top of the gorge, whilst my observation site, located by the stream at the bottom of the gorge, is instead wet and shaded with a decent canopy of trees. As such, this lichen was growing in an environment with far more sun and less water than if I had observed it at my exact observation site; again, I was allowed to venture outside of my site for this journal to find different lichens.

fruticose

fruticose

Close up of the Bristly Beard Lichen. One can see the shrub-like structure, the fine bristles at the end of the branches and the central stalk that the smaller branches and bristles sprout out of, all of which are hallmarks of this species.

Another picture of the Bristly Beard Lichen. Notice the lack of bulbs at the ends of the branches, a trait that is common for other members of the Usnea genus, such as the Blood-spattered Beard.

My next fungi is a mushroom called Mycena atroalboides; I was not able to find a common name for this mushroom. It is a small, gilled mushroom with a brown-grey cap that is darker towards the center. The mushroom is perhaps only an inch high at most. The cap is shaped somewhat like a cone, with the apex of the cone being the darker center of the mushroom cap, whilst the margins are lighter colored. The stem is extremely delicate, being so fragile to the point where nudging it slightly so that I could photograph the gill pattern broke the stem. The circumference of the stem is maybe a few milometers at most, whilst the diameter of the cap is about a centimeter. The stem is a light tan color. The gills on the underside of the cap were very fine and located close together, and were attached to the stem itself. The sides of the gills were a darker brown color, whilst the rest of the gilling was pale and almost white. I found these mushrooms at my close up observation site, being located on a wet rotting log on the stream bank, with the log also hosting a great amount of moss. Needless to say, that the environment that this Mycena was growing in was extremely wet and well-shaded; the only way for the mushroom to grow in a wetter environment would be for it to just take a plunge into the stream raging just a few inches below. The mushrooms were growing in a thick patch of moss on the log, contributing to the very damp environment these mushrooms were located in. Various broad-leafed trees were located near the stream bank, contributing to the overall shady environment. 

A shot of the underside of Mycena atroalboides. One can see the gilling, as well as the darker margins on the edges of the gills. The gills also attach to the central stalk, as seen in this shot, and the narrow stem is clearly visible.

Overhead shot of Mycena atroalboides. The conical shape of the caps can clearly be seen, as well as the darker color near the apex of the cap, best seen with the mushroom at center. The color of the caps, being a brownish pale color, can also be seen clearly in this shot.

Shot of Mycena atroalboides after I touched it somewhat to look at the gills. As one can see, the stem is very thin and delicate. I suppose one could also see how the underside of the cap is whitish in direct contrast to the top of the cap and the stem in this particular shot, as well as the moss carpet and stream.

My next example of fungus that I would like to highlight is Ganoderma applanatum, also known as Artist's Bracket.  This particular fungus I found whilst walking out of my observation site and the park. Whilst on my way out I spied two things. First, I saw a nice Grand Fir by the walking path, and in a nook at the base of the trunk I saw this example of Artist's Bracket. Having no idea what this thing was and interested to find out, I snapped a few pictures before heading out. The mushroom is a bracket fungus on account of it growing out of the side of a tree and looking like a bracket, hence the name. The mushroom was about a foot wide and very stiff and woody. Looking at the mushroom head on it is easy to see where the mushroom has been damaged, with the material underneath being hard, wood-like and dark. The top of the mushroom, which I assume consists entirely of cap, is a pale brown grey color, almost blending in with the tree, whilst the bottom is white and covered in pores. Whilst I was looking at this mushroom I noticed that someone had somehow carved a heart into the bottom surface of the mushroom. Apparently the reason why this bracket mushroom is called an Artist's Bracket is due to the ability for one to carve through the pore-laden and pale underside to reveal darker material underneath, resulting in a clearly visible and permanent carving after the exterior of the mushroom has dried, hence the "Artist's" portion of the name; the "bracket" part should be easy enough to discern. The area in which the Grand Fir and the Artist's Bracket were located was in an upland area out of the gorge, with there being little in the way of shade. The area had a lot of direct sunlight and was well-drained, with the tree and the mushroom not being moist or wet at all. Needless to say this was a stark contrast to the extremely wet and well shaded area near the stream, and I did not see any regular mushrooms near this tree as I was climbing out of the gorge and out of the park.

Head on view of the Artist's Bracket. One can see the woody interior of the mushroom in the center of the shot, as well as the brown grey color of the top of the cap. The substrate that the mushroom is growing on, the bark of the Grand Fir, as also visible, as is the general shelf-shape of the mushroom itself. There were some deciduous broad-leafed trees nearby, hence the dead leaves in the shot. I also elected to scale the size of this text to the size of the mushroom; this is a large fellow.

In this shot one can see the underside of the Artist's Bracket. Whilst the pores are very small and are thus not very well pictured, one can still see the white underside and the lack of any gills or teeth. One can also see the carved heart that I mentioned earlier towards the right of the shot.

Heading back to my observation site I decided to peak around the upstream waterfall some more. After sticking my head near a rotting log on the stream bank I was able to find multiple examples of Hypholoma fasciculare, also known as Sulfur Tuft. The caps were about two inches across and had a yellow sulfur-like color, thereby explaining the name. The caps are largely flat on top and droop down slightly along the margins, being vaguely hemispherical. The cap margins are far paler color than the center of the caps, being more of a whitish color that contrasts with the dark yellow of the center of the caps. The stems are a dark yellow color and are at least two to three inches tall. The gills on the bottom of the cap are crowded and are a yellow color. The top of the cap is smooth. The stems probably had a circumference of about a centimeter. These mushrooms grew in little clumps, with the bases of the stalks converging. Unfortunately, it appeared that some of the mushrooms were damaged and were missing portions of their caps. I found these mushrooms on the side of a rotting maple log just above the waterfall; I had to practically stick my hand in the stream just to get a good picture. The area is very well shaded, with the mushrooms being largely under the cover of the Vine Maples and other trees, and the entire area was extremely damp and covered with moss. In other words, the substrate was a rotting log and the surrounding area was a well-shaded and damp riparian ecosystem. 

Overhead shot of the Sulfur Tufts. One can see how the yellow-orange color of the center of the caps fades to a whitish color towards the margins, as well as the damage to the caps. One can also see the mossy log the mushrooms are growing upon and the stream raging in the background.

Below shot of the Sulfur Tufts. One can see the gills on the bottom of the head, the yellow stalks and how the mushrooms grow from a central clump. There is also a cute little Licorice Fern in the picture as well, or at least I would think it is a Licorice Fern from the singular front and lack of branching. It is a cool shot but I just about had to stick my hand in the stream to take it. I would say it was worth it. To the right is a maple stick with some Turkey Tail on it, though it is less than a perfect shot in that regard. 

The next mushroom that I documented is Turkey Tail, scientific name Trametes versicolor. The top of the cap has multiple bands of color, ranging from a pale white to a rusty brown, is flat, and is a couple centimeters to an inch in diameter. This leads the mushroom to look somewhat like the tail of a turkey with the numerous bands of ruddy and pale colors, hence the name. The bottom of the cap is pale white with numerous pores. As a polypore, it is largely flat and lacks gills; it grows in multiple layers of flat tiled mushrooms. There is no visible stem, with the mushroom cap erupting straight out of the wood. As opposed to these flat platforms being perpendicular to their woody substrate, the caps were largely flush to the stick, with the bottoms of the caps not being visible until I lifted the stick they were located upon. The pores are not all that visible in the pictures I provided, though they were slightly darker than the rest of the flesh on the bottoms of the caps and very small, almost like dust. The caps were an inch in diameter at the greatest, and many were only about a centimeter or two across. I found this stick covered in Turkey Tail right next to the Sulfur Tufts; in fact, you can see the end of the stick in one of the photos I provided for the Sulfur Tuft. As mentioned before, the surrounding environment was very wet and damp, as well as well shaded. The area was cool in the shade and the mushrooms were less than a foot above the stream, making the maple stick the Turkey Tails were growing on even more wet than the already damp area near the stream. I do not know which species the stick belongs to, though from the look of the bark it might be Red Alder; I just am not sure.

Close up shot of the Turkey Tails. One can clearly see the multiple bands of color that give this fungus its name. One can also see how the mushrooms are largely flat and flush with the stick, with the tops of the caps peaking out on either edge of the stick.

Farther away shot of the Turkey Tails. I this shot I tilted the stick up to get a better view of the width of the Turkey Tails and their multiple bands of color, as well as how the mushrooms overlap with one other in some areas.

Bottom view of the stick with the Turkey Tails. One can clearly see the pale undersides of the mushrooms and how wide they really were, though the pores are less than visible at this angle. To be frank, I did not want to get too close to these things due to how weird they were. One can also see my boot, the stream and my hat.

The last example of fungus I will be highlight in my post in Thelotrema lepadinum, or Bark Barnacle. This fungus is a crust lichen, meaning it forms hard, white-grey crusts on the barks of trees. This species in particular I found on the bark of a Beaked Hazelnut, which has smooth, greyish bark. In contrast to the bark the Bark Barnacle has a blueish appearance and appears warty and rough. This is due to a variety of small pores that come in pairs that, I assume, make up the reproductive apparatus of this lichen. These pairs of warts look somewhat like open barnacles when examined up close, and when I say up close I mean with your eye about a half centimeter about the surface; needless to say, with my poor quality of camera the barnacle-like blisters look more like weird bumps. Each patch was no more than two inches in diameter and were roughly circular. At any rate this species lacks the prominent brown spots that are prevalent of species such as Bull's Eye, appearing blue-green and warty throughout. These particular pictures depict an example I found on the bark on a Beaked Hazelnut, though I also saw this species on trees such as the Bigleaf Maple. However, wherever I saw this species, it was in a more upland and dry area. This example was located in a clearing at the top of the gorge above my observation site, with the area being open, in direct sunlight, and well-drained. I did not see it in wetter and stream side areas, or if I did, it was not nearly as prevalent for me to make note of it, especially when compared to other lichen species. Overall this is a very common and very simple species; just look for the pairs of barnacle-warts close up and you are good. The blue-green patches on bark, which are hard and do not scratch off easily and lack any sort of brown pods or prominent growths, can also identify this species from a distance, especially in open areas that are well-drained and rich in hardwoods.

Picture of a Bark Barnacle. One can see the numerous pairs of bumps on the surface, which, up close, look like open barnacles. Also note the blue green color in contrast to the smoother grey bark.

A farther out picture of the Bark Barnacle. Not too much going on with this species, it truly lives up to the name of "Crust Lichen." No lower surface and a hard upper surface flush with the bark, as seen here. One can also see how it grows in a roughly circular shape about an inch or two across, if that.

Overall I had an interesting time with these different species of fungus. I would not say I had fun identifying them, as identifying different species of fungus for the first time is frustrating at best, especially considering how many species look alike save for small differences. Noting the gill patterns and substrate did help me narrow things down though. I did like being able to look a bit outside of the observation area though, and I was able to snag a few cool looking species like Artist's Bracket without even looking for them specifically. I was also happy I was able to identify a few wetland species, such as the Black Cottonwood and rushes.