Fungal Associates

Day 65: Well, this is an interesting turn-up! My back yard has suddenly sprouted a lavish streak of Ramaria acrisiccescens radiating from...yep, if you've been paying attention in class, you should be able to guess what I'm going to say...the site where Corallorhiza maculata (my pet Coralroot, lovingly known as "Mac") cropped up last spring. While this is not conclusive evidence of a specific fungal association with a mycoheterotrophic plant species, it is certainly suggestive. Both Corallorhiza maculata and Ramaria acrisiccescens are common in Pacific Northwest forests, but until this year, neither appeared in my yard. The line of Ramaria is about twelve feet long, forming a gentle arc with Mac near its apex. There may be more hidden beneath the pile of pruned branches and lawn clippings which are heaped in the woods behind Mac's stronghold. A few other little brown mushrooms are also in evidence, although I believe I've seen them here before. Perhaps they were instrumental in establishing the beginnings of a fungal community which allowed Mac to grow. I may have to stake off a section 20' x 10' as "Local Research Area #1."

Helvella Elastica, Flexible Lorchel

Day 258: I am grateful to my botany partner Joe for finding and GPSing these specimens of Helvella elastica (known commonly as the Flexible Lorchel), a fungus we suspect might be allied with certain mycoheterotrophic plants. When we first observed it in 2017 in another location, I was unable to identify it from my photos. With a mind to the importance of certain features, I was able to key it out after a visit to Joe's coordinates. That said, I have been unable to find any references linking mycoheterotrophic species specifically to the Helvellas, but in fact, very little research has been done in that regard with respect to any plants outside the better-known Orchidaceae. Oh, if only I was fifty years younger and had a team of observers under my direction! A lot can be theorized from field observations of species associations, links which can be used to refine searches for rare mycoheterotrophs. Lab work is great for confirming connections, but first the plants and their associates have to be found. That funny-looking fungus at your feet may contribute to the germination process of a rarity, or to its survival. The more I see, the more convinced I am that fungus makes the world go 'round.