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."