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Friday, September 16, 2011

The Gold Begins

It's beginning to feel like fall- just enjoy the gold. This is woodland sunflower and Canada goldenrod.

woodland sunflower and goldenrod

This afternoon I went out to scout the location where I'm leading a trail club hike tomorrow. I've hiked it before, but I wanted to go in the opposite direction, and didn't want to make any mistakes. So, Maggie and I had a nice walk, and it was just what we were supposed to be doing!

gold mushrooms

These little golden mushrooms were growing in the path. I'm no mushroom expert. I've looked in the book, but don't really have any good guesses on their ID. But they're cute.

sassafras leaves

Finally, here's a favorite. These are the leaves of the American sassafras, Sassafras albidum. You can see all three forms. The single-lobed leaf, the mitten, and the three-lobed leaf. I love sassafras. It seems to me that every single stage of it's life is odd in some way. Maybe I should do a whole post about it. I have pictures of most of those phases now.

The walk was great, and I'll see it all again tomorrow with some other folks. There is supposed to be more sun tomorrow, so perhaps I'll get some even better pictures. Come back and find out!


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7 comments:

Campbell Jane said...

Fall is my favorite time of year! When I was little Mom would go in the "woods" (an uncleared lot next door) and get sassafras. To this day I can't even drink Root Beer! hahaha
Blessings to you! Hope you have a wonderful fall season!

eastcoastlife said...

The golden mushrooms are cute! Are they edible?

Ann said...

a post worth it's weight in gold :)
We're seeing a lot of gold around here and I have noticed some of the trees just beginning to change color

wiseacre said...

I saw 3 shrooms that looked similar in my Audubon guide. With only the cap and veil visible I'm pulling names out of pretty thin air.

Hated Amanita (best look alike)
Garland Stropharia
Clustered Gomphidius (least likely imo)

I've got to get over trying to identify mushrooms. They give me headaches.

...That elegant stinkhorn is the first and only stinkhorn I've ever found. Now if only the rest of the shrooms I found were so easily IDed.

rainfield61 said...

All the walks are great.

We will find great things along the walks.

EJ said...

The mushrooms remind me of the family walk we did the other day, we found big ones in the field and the kids had so much fun looking at it.

Sharkbytes said...

Jane- Now the FDA says that sassafras causes cancer!

ECL- my guess is not edible, but since I haven't IDed them for sure yet, I don't know.

Ann- just a few reds in the trees, but many of the smaller plants are getting golden/brown

John- I don't hate "Hated Amanita" as a common name in my books, but I pulled one up today, and there is no bulb, so I don't think it's an Amanita.
Stropharia ambigua is a possibility
Not a Gomphidius because the gills don't extend down the stalk.
One of the Armillaria is a possibility.

rainfield- I always find LOTS of good things, and then I have to pick which ones to share.

John- It's so great when kids get to explore the wonders of the natural world. Thanks for stopping by.