Happy Independence Day everyone. Been another week of rain, rain, rain. But today was a beautiful Saturday to be out and about and a busy day here at Wahkeena. So busy that a post started at 9 AM is finally being written at 6 PM!
The fifth native orchid to bloom at Wahkeena is the Green Adder's Mouth Orchid (Malaxis uniflora) seen above. This one is really easy to miss and the plants this year are, on average, 3-4" tall. This is another one of those flowers that might evoke the phrase, " When will it be in bloom?"and the answer is yes that's it.
While the woodland is mostly green now, there is color to be found in more unusual places and things. On a quick trip around the trail this morning I encounter the fungi pictured below.
Green is not a color that most folks would associate with a fungus...but here it is.
Light lavender can also be found.
And bright yellow can be found in several species as seen above and below. Above is a jelly fungi that grows on dead conifer trees. While below is one of the gill mushrooms.
Another of the gill mushrooms is the red variety seen below
Hiding in the shadows of the stone steps to the shelter is the yellowish-brown Bolete, one of the sponge or fleshy pore fungi.
So as you can see from this small sample, now is a good time to explore for fungi. One of the benefits of warm rainy weather.
The flower of our third blooming orchid, Puttyroot, is long gone, and the plant is now putting all its energy into seed production. Large green pods now appear where the pollinated flower once protruded from a naked stem.
Nature's "fireworks" may not be as dramatic as aerial explosions, but they still awaken the senses none the less.
Post by Tired Tom
