Life on the Outer Coast

Back in the good old days, it was reasonable to call this mushroom Armillariella mellea or Armillaria mellea or Honey mushroom. Alas, once again I'm providing evidence that the latin name changes just as often as the common name. At this time I'm content to call this creature Armillaria ostoyae at least until I find the technical description and find I'm wrong. A large clump of the mushroom are growing in the alder chips by the flower garden behind the house. . They typically appear every fall, usually in October. The color of the cap is a little darker than it appears in the top photo, the second photo color is a bit truer. Honey is a good name for color. No they aren't great photos, but I'm trying to expand my horizons. The annulus and shaggy stem are excellent field marks. An interesting feature that isn't visible in this photo is the long black rhizomorphs that grow out of the stipe base. The rhizomorphs of the mushrooms in the garden are about 3 inches long and look like large roots. The stems are come to a point at the base, and are somewhat fused in some clumps. One other useful feature that is vaguely visible in the photos is the black hair-like scales on the cap. They don't obscure the color of the mature cap and are more obvious on young mushrooms. Honey mushroom grows in large clusters and is typically parasitic on living trees. There used to be a great patch growing out of a mountain ash near the turn-off to the SJ library. I've also found them growing in alders along Indian River.

Tom Volk's site has a preliminary key and descriptions. http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/armkey.html#ost

The mushroom expert is as usual quite entertaining. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/armillaria_mellea.html

Planted the rest of my wild seed collection this afternoon. Used half sand and half sphagnum as a planting medium. Sowed Valerian, Dodecatheon pulchellum, Anemone narcissifolia, Vicia, Lupine, Hiericium and Senecio triangularis. I'll keep the flats in the greenhouse until the heavy rains stop for the fall and get put the garden maurading deer in the freezer. It likes to walk through the beds and I'm not sure what kind of damage it would do to the flats.

Also moved raspberry plants out of the flowers and into their new home. An actual proper looking raspberry bed with posts and wire.

Forgot to mention the 10+ varied thrushes that we saw at Old Sitka on Friday.

6 Juncos, 2 song sparrows, and 7 chickadees at the feeder today. One wren in the garden by the wood shed. I could hear the loons calling from Eastern Channel when I was working in the garden.