Species Feature #11, Mountain Laurel

I thought now would be a fitting time to feature this species, given my recent engagement to Laurel. While I believe she was technically named for the bay laurel (which isn't even closely related, taxonomically speaking), the mountain laurel is about as close as we're likely to find growing wild in this area. In this case "close" refers non-scientifically to plants called "laurels."

Mountain laurels have stunningly beautiful white flowers with red or pink highlights. Something I didn't realize about them is that they are evergreens... and so my prior thoughts about them as a "sign of spring" were in error. Still, I don't think they're generally quite as striking in winter as they have appeared the last few weeks.

A very photogenic plant.

 
Kalmia latifolia Quick Facts

Common Name(s): Mountain Laurel, Spoonwood, Ivybush, Sheep laurel, Lambkill, Calico bush

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Plantae
• Division (Phylum level) - Magnoliophyta (aka Angiospermae)
• Class - Eudicots (not technically a Class, but this is an approximation)
• Order - Asterids (another approximation. Asterids are part of the "core Eudicots.")
• Family -Eracaceae
• Genus - Kalmia
• Species - latifolia
  

Range:  From southern Maine to northwest Florida. It can be found as far west as Mississippi with patches in Indiana and Louisiana as well.

Showing off its evergreen properties in the snow

The ovine names above were bestowed upon the plant because of its poisonous properties. It has been known to kill sheep, cattle, and horses and is also toxic to humans. I was alarmed to read that the plant is toxic, yet used in food... and that it isn't one of those situations in which the toxicity is removed with cooking. I dare not investigate this further, lest I become paralyzed with fear.

Mountain laurels are gregarious in this area, and quite hardy. I have of course found them in Shenandoah National Park, but I have also noted their presence in myriad other places. Patuxent wildlife refuge has its share, as does Seneca Creek State Park. The flowers of course are the easiest way to identify this species, but the leaves are also fairly distinctive, at least when compared to other shrubs of the Mid-Atlantic.

The family to which it belongs, commonly referred to as the "heath' or "heather" family, is also home to a variety of familiar plants. Several berries (blueberries and cranberries, notably) are members of this family. Azaleas and rhododendrons also fit here, as do the common heathers of Europe.

Showing off its hardiness by growing from a rock.

I want to conclude with a note about the "taxonomic breakdown" I have been including in these features. It is important to note that these things are fluid, and one biologist may not agree with another over a species' placement. Further muddling this is the fact that there are even competing systems of classification, and that when it comes to plants phyla, classes, and orders are really "clades" which are not quite at the same level of biological classification. I have listed them that way to avoid confusion, and hope that I haven't instead created confusion. Believe it or not, Wikipedia is a reasonably reliable source for sorting this all out. I don't trust it to have the most current information, but it does do a good job of discussing the competing systems and, for example, what an "Angiosperm" is.

Species Feature #9, Ash-Tree Bolete

This feature is long overdue. In many ways the ash-tree bolete (Gyrodon merulioides) should have been Species Feature #1. Without this mushroom, my blog wouldn't exist. It was my first mycology success story: I encountered several specimens growing just outside my apartment. I had no idea what they were, but was able to get a tentative ID from one source. Since I was inexperienced, I really wanted corroboration - so I Googled the scientific name. At the time, one of the first search results took me to a post in this livejournal. It's written by a zoo employee in New England, and it planted the seed that grew into my idea for this blog. My introduction to this DC area blog by Laurel was, I suppose, the fertilizer. But it was my interest in G. merulioides that served as the soil. My blog's synthesis bears remarkable parallels to the ecological niche occupied by this species.

One largish specimen

Gyrodon merulioides Quick Facts

Common Name(s): ash-tree bolete

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Fungi
• Subkingdom - Dikarya
• Phylum - Basidiomycota
• Subphylum - Agaricomycotina
• Class - Agaricomycetes
• Order - Boletales
• Family -Paxillaceae
• Genus - Gyrodon
• Species - merulioides

Range: I couldn't find information directly on the range of this species, but it is limited to the range of ash trees. Most commonly it is found under white ash, Fraxinus americana.

Just a small sampling of the hundreds of specimens I found one day in Silver Spring

Because of its proximity to white ash, the ash-tree bolete was long thought to be mycorrhizal.This is generally the case when a mushroom species is found exclusively under one species (or in this case, one related group of species) of tree. Yet the life of G. merulioides is more complex than that. It instead participates in a totally different symbiotic relationship - with a species of aphid which itself only feeds on ash trees. Meliarhizophagus fraxinifolii, according to this press release, fights predation by breeding wildly... so wildly, in fact, that some generations are born pregnant. I won't pretend to understand how this happens, but it adds one more layer of fascination to the scene.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s a fourth species entered the picture: the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), often referred to as simply EAB. This species of beetle decimates populations of ash trees, and threatens the entire genus. I have previously written about invasive species, taking the position that we are often too quick to label introduced species as damaging to their new environments. However, this seems like a clear-cut and very serious problem. Forests in this area can ill afford the loss of yet more tree species, and the EAB threatens several, and no North American species of ash tree has yet shown effective resistance to infestation. Lose the trees, and this biome loses the aphid and the mushroom mentioned above. Lose the aphid, and its predators lose a food source which rapidly replenishes itself.

Collecting spores.

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This mushroom is easy to identify if one knows what to look for. From above, the irregular, leathery, brown caps can be easy to miss, but once seen these alone are a good indicator of what you're looking at. The stem is lateral and often not very substantial. Underneath, the pore surface is a solid yellow with hexagonal pores. The light yellow (sometimes white) flesh of this bolete, like that of many boletes, bruises blue. A spore print usually isn't necessary for identification, but if taken it will appear olive brown. If you're unsure, look around for ash trees.

Note the blue bruising, and how the pores peel away from the flesh as a discreet layer.

Species Feature #8, Train Wrecker

The train wrecker is a fascinating mushroom, technically an edible but not particularly palatable. I'll get the story of its common name out of the way quickly rather than keep you in suspense. This mushroom has reportedly decayed railroad ties to such a degree that accidents have resulted. These stories, however, may be apocryphal - after all, a number of other organisms were undoubtedly at work on each of the ties in question. Mature specimens can be quite large and showy, and their brown scales, jagged gills and inrolled cap margins can give them a rustic appearance. The stems, too, contribute to this rugged feeling with their often shaggy rings and reddish-brown scales. The size makes this mushroom a tempting kitchen experiment, but it has a tough, leathery texture which prevents it from being truly appetizing.

An immature specimen harvested from a decaying stump. Note the gills' attachment to the stem, and their already ragged nature. The scales on the stem are also readily apparent.

Neolentinus lepideus Quick Facts

Common Name(s): train wrecker, scaly lentinus

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Fungi
• Subkingdom - Dikarya
• Phylum - Basidiomycota
• Subphylum - Agaricomycotina
• Class - Agaricomycetes
• Order - Gloeophyllales
• Family -Gloeophyllaceae
• Genus - Neolentinus
• Species - lepideus

The genus of this mushroom used to be Lentinus, but as with many fungi these days this has recently changed.

Range:  This mushroom is common throughout North America and Europe. It can be found growing on decaying coniferous wood and occasionally on hardwood as well. It has even been reported in coal mines.

A mature specimen, with a bit of substrate (the thing it grows on and consumes) brought along for good measure.

Here is a closeup of the gills and cap margin in a mature specimen. This one was found deep in Rock Creek Park alongside a picnic table.

It is not recommended to eat this mushroom if collected growing from treated wood - unpleasant substances like the chemicals used for weatherproofing can be taken up in the fruiting body as it grows. I personally don't recommend eating this at all due to its general mediocrity. In Michal Kuo's 100 Edible Mushrooms, Darvin DeShazer quotes another mycophagist, Robert Mackler, thusly: "If it's not at least as good as a portobello, why eat it?" I don't agree fully with this fourth-hand thought (the answer is "because it's cool," or maybe "to find out what it tastes like," etc.). However, having tasted this species I am inclined to agree in this instance. Of course, it isn't recommended to eat ANY wild mushroom at all without extensive knowledge and experience... so keep that in mind as well. If you see a mushroom that looks like the above, the reward side of the risk-reward balance is very small.

Species Feature #7, Red Admiral

The photos for this entry were taken on a camping trip to the Outer Banks this past July. Nonetheless, the Red Admiral is very much relevant in the DC area. This species is relatively easy to identify from a top view. The white spots (on a black background) on the forewing tip are fairly distinctive, and you can't miss if you also see the black-fading-to-brown central coloring with orange bands around it. I don't have a good shot of the ventral view, so I'll let Wikipedia handle that for you. Note the mottled coloration and pink bar. I have to say, when I first started browsing a butterfly guide the biggest shock to me was how many species exhibit drastically different patterning on the "top" (dorsal) and "bottom" (ventral) of the wing.

Isn't she a beauty? Also, why do I inherently think of all butterflies as "she"? Am I unconsciously sexist, or is that just over-analyzing?

Vanessa atalanta Quick Facts

Common Name(s): red admiral, alderman

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Animalia
• Phylum - Arthropoda
• Class - Insecta
• Order - Lepidoptera
• Superfamily - Papilionoidea
• Family - Nymphalidae
• Subfamily - Nymphalinae
• Tribe - Nymphalini
• Genus - Vanessa
• Species - atalanta
  

A superfamily, a subfamily, AND a tribe? Really? I think this is brought on by 1) a staggering number of known species in order Lepidoptera and 2) biologists' obsession with the beauty of butterflies. I'm poking fun, but honestly in this case such minutiae are certainly warranted.

Conservation Status: Not Assessed

Range: This butterfly is found all over the place. In North America, it spans Guatemala to Canada, Hawaii, and the Caribbean.

The same specimen as above takes a break on our tent. Man, was this a wonderful campsite (but I digress).

Since this is the first butterfly species chronicled here, I'll throw down with some basic butterfly information. Like all insects, butterflies have three-part bodies (head, abdomen, and thorax) with three sets of legs attached to the thorax. Also like all insects, they have a pair of antennae and compound eyes. In butterflies, the antennae are clubbed. They also have a pair of palpi, which are sensory appendages attached to the mandibles, as well as a proboscis (feeding tube, if you want to be unpretentious). Butterflies, of course, feature two pairs of showy wings as well. As biologists are wont to do, they have further divided the wings into parts, although most of these are fairly self-explanatory. Parts of the forewing and hindwing are described by terms including: cell, disc, tip, trailing edge, base, outer margin, etc. Understanding these terms is important when using a guide, because they tell you where to look for the characteristic features of a given species.


Now that I've thoroughly bored you with bug parts, my work here is done. In other news, I'll be spending the coming long weekend at a lakeside house in New York. I'm hoping to return with plenty of new material.

Species Feature #6, Tuliptree

The tuliptree, or tulip poplar, is an unmistakeable hardwood found throughout this region. Wikipedia lists it as the tallest eastern hardwood. Why do I call it "unmistakeable"? The leaf and flower are both strikingly distinctive, and can be identified from a distance. Other than its Chinese counterpart (the only other member of genus Liriodendron), nothing resembles it in terms of leaf shape. Some things I did not know:

• It is an excellent lumber tree, because it grows quickly and does not always develop limbs until it is quite tall.
• It is also a major source of honey in the US, although rarely used at the table.
• It is generally found in forests and stands of trees 50-150 years of age, and rarely in those of over 500 years.

Notice how much of the trunk is uninterrupted by branches. It almost seems, from
this photo, as if the leaves come from an entirely different plant.

Liriodendron tulipifera Quick Facts

Common Name(s): tuliptree, tulip poplar, American tulip tree, yellow poplar, tulip tree

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Plantae
• Division (Phylum level) - Magnoliophyta (aka Angiospermae)
• Class - Magnoliopsida
• Order - Magnoliales
• Family -Magnoliaceae
• Genus - Liriodendron
• Species - tulipifera

Range:  Throughout the eastern United States, except for southern Florida and northern New England. Its western range roughly follows the natural boundary of the Mississippi River.

The flower of the tuliptree.

Isn't that flower beautiful? It's not even open. It's also a good instructional flower, as all of its parts are large and easy to identify. Google can do a better job than I of showcasing the flower's true beauty. Please note that some of the results are not correctly identified... however, that set of photos should be more than enough to get the idea.

This sapling in Watkins Regional Park gave me a good opportunity to capture the leaf shape.

It doesn't take much imagination to see where this tree's name comes from when looking at its leaves.

Well, I've little else to say about this particular species. I have a feeling, though, that anyone who reads this without first knowing what a tuliptree is will henceforth recognize the species forever. One of these days, I will showcase a species that's a little harder to nail down. Eventually.

Species Feature #5, Mayapple

The mayapple is nearly ubiquitous spring ground cover in the woods of the Mid-Atlantic. I have noticed it so much this year that it seemed to be just screaming for a feature in this blog. The leaf and the flower are both pretty distinctive, so this is an easy species to identify. The fruit is a green oval that develops from the flower site. They are usually found in large groups, with individual plants liked by rhizomes (connecting root structures). Those rhizomes have been used for chemotherapy and as a topical agent, but eating them (or the fruit) is not recommended. These parts of the plant are poisonous, but only in large quantities.

A sizable cluster of mayapple found in Watkins Regional Park last weekend.

Podophyllum peltatum Quick Facts


Common Name(s): mayapple, hogapple, Indian apple, mayflower, umbrella plant, wild mandrake

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Plantae
• *Division - Magnoliophyta (aka Angiospermae)
• Class - Magnoliopsida
• Order - Ranunculales
• Family - Berberidaceae
• Genus - Podophyllum
• Species - peltatum

*For some reason that doesn't make much sense to me, biologists scoff at the term "phylum" for plants. Instead, between Kingdom and Class they split plants into "Divisions." This division is better known as "flowering plants" which are a subset of "seed-bearing plants (Spermatophytes). Why we don't just refer to these levels as phyla and subphyla is beyond me, but hey, I don't make the rules.

Range: Throughout the eastern US as far west as Minnesota and Texas, and North into Canada in places.

Some younger specimens near Rock Creek Park.

Here is an interesting read on the medicinal history and folklore of the mayapple. This site has a wonderful detail photo of the flower, as well as some good information. As the "mandrake" this plant makes an appearance in Shakespeare (see the quote at the top of the first link).

The flower of Podophyllum peltatum.

For variety's sake, a photo from below of mayapple growing by the roadside.

Species Feature #4, Oyster Mushroom

Since everything so far in these capsules has been an animal, I decided it was time for a change. Since mycology is a pretty major focus of my naturalist activities, it's only appropriate to highlight some fungi for you. The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is very common, very delicious, grows gregariously, can be found year round, and is relatively easy to identify. In other words, they are fungal ambrosia. One thing I should throw out there as a technicality: there are several similar species which, for all intents and purposes, are the same. However, we have to trust our scientists, and if they tell me that a specimen I have is really Pleurotus populinus I won't argue. But, unless there's a practical difference I don't much care. I'm glad I'm aware of this, but I also won't split hairs. If it's close enough to be referred to as a "species complex" differentiating the species from one another is probably beyond me at this point anyway.

This mushroom is quite variable in appearance, but this I think is a good general photo. Classically their growth pattern is a little different.

Pleurotus ostreatus Quick Facts

Common Name(s): oyster mushroom

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom -Fungi
• Phylum - Basidiomycota
• Class - Agaricomycetes
• Order - Agaricales
• Family - Tricholomataceae
• Genus - Pleurotus
• Species - ostreatus

Range: Worldwide (with some exceptions) in temperate and subtropical woods and forests

Here it is found glowing atop a log instead of hanging from the side of a tree or stump. Different configuration, slightly different coloring, same mushroom.

If I tried to describe the mushroom's features (cap, stem, gills, growth habits, substrates, etc) I would only be copying the work of others - and there are only so many ways to say "stem absent or lateral" and so forth. Instead, I will link you to some quality sites.

It's a bold move to call your site Mushroom Expert. It may even seem pretentious from anyone other than a doctor of mycology. Here's the thing: it isn't. Michael Kuo, who runs the site, absolutely knows what he's talking about. He's an English teacher, so he's also knows how to talk about it. Anyway, here's Kuo's writeup of oyster mushrooms.

Tom Volk is another expert, albeit one I'm less familiar with.
Mycoweb is another excellent site.
And another, which points out some of the other similar and hard to separate species.

There is a species (or maybe many species) of beetle which REALLY loves this mushroom. I have only found it referred to as a "small black beetle" but it has been remarked upon in relation to this mushroom quite a bit.

Here I am preparing for the harvest. I'm not sure what that look on my face is. Photo credit to Laurel.

The two clusters of oyster mushroom pictured above were collected from two places I've already discussed in detail on this blog: Watkins Regional Park (the specimens hanging from above) and Rock Creek Park (the specimens growing up from the log).

Species Feature #3, Eastern Box Turtle

There's just something cool about an animal with a door for its head, isn't there? I present the Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina, also sometimes called the common box turtle). Often in the world of turtles and tortoises it is subtle differences in the markings that make identifying to species possible; however, these turtles have widely varying markings and are best identified by their hinged shell. This alone will take care of the ID for you in the Mid-Atlantic...if it can close its shell all the way you have a common box turtle. Another subspecies is endemic to Florida, one to the Gulf Coast, and yet another just west of the nominate subspecies; the ornate box turtle can be found out West.

I might have propped this fella (I'm fairly sure it's a fella because the underside of the shell - called the plastron - is curved) onto the log for this pose. However, I returned him to his original location...turtles are apparently easily disoriented and moving them is a no-no unless you're helping them out of the road.

 Terrapene carolina carolina Quick Facts

Common Name(s): Eastern box turtle, common box turtle (this second name is to distinguish from other subspecies of T. carolina.)

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Animalia
• Phylum - Chordata
• Class - Reptilia
• Order - Testudines
• Family - Emydidae
• Genus - Terrapene
• Species - carolina
• Subspecies - carolina

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Range: Massachusetts to Georgia, and West to Illinois and Tenessee

Check out the m-shaped (or e-shaped, depending on your POV) markings on the shell.

I was always particularly fascinated by these creatures as a child. I think I was captivated by the mystery of what's inside the shell more than anything. It's also nifty that despite their vast differences from mammals, in their dietary habits they are much like us - that is to say, opportunistic and omnivorous.

I think looking closely at the indentation confirms sex, but I don't want to be too confident because sexing turtles and tortoises is notoriously difficult.

This individual was a little less shy at first, allowing us a glimpse of its beak and clawed feet.

However, a confused and agitated Franklin took care of that in short order.

Before I let you go, I want to make note that I will be continually updating my post "Naturalism on Speed" with each new species I am able to identify while biking. If such things interest you at all, you can check in any time. I'm including a date with each newly added species so you can tell at a glance if anything is new to you.