Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Lichenomphallia ericetorum

In the afternoon of 12 June 2014, I drove westwards to the mountains, along Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66) as far as Maclean Pond. I did a very slow walk, and was happy when I noticed these tiny mushrooms growing on a fallen, rotting log. The tallest one may have been an inch tall, so you can imagine how small the smallest one was. When I come across fungi that look like these, I'm never completely sure whether they are mushrooms or if they belong to a lichen that grows something very similar. If it is, in fact, a lichen (Lichenomphallia ericetorum), then the following information would apply - yes, it IS the correct ID, thanks to Ken Dies: "Lichenomphallia is a genus of lichenized Basidomycetes or club fungi which has spores produced on club-shaped basidia. The lichen fungus resembles a mushroom and the algae are concentrated in special tissues or lobes at the base of the fruiting body. This plant is found in both books on Lichens and books on Mushrooms as Omphalina." The previously posted image in a comment box below shows the lichen (Lichenomphallia ericetorum). I had hoped to find lots of wildflowers in bloom, but the main plant was the Dandelion, so it was obviously too early after our late spring. Also a very few Shootingstars, one Blue-eyed Grass in bloom, several Valerian flowers, several clusters of Mouse-eared Chickweed, and not much else. On the way home, I drove a few of the backroads SW of Calgary, where I photographed a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, a Snipe, a Tree Swallow, a Brewer's Blackbird, and a Black Tern that was perched on a fence post. Usually, when I see Terns, they are flying fast and my camera can't catch them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our weather took a turn for the worse yesterday evening. After a sunny day, freezing fog developed later evening, just when I had to drive home from part way across the city. It was the annual supper for a group I belong to and it was a very pleasant evening. Always good to catch up with friends. There is a warning that our roads are going to turn into “skating rinks” – never good news. Temperatures will plunge and this afternoon will be -6C with snow all day today and all day tomorrow (Monday). Temperature will be down to -14C on Tuesday, but at least the sun should be shining. I have to drive south of the city today and I’m not looking forward to it. It's -6C as I type at 6:00 am (windchill -12C) and it snowed overnight). I am so not ready for this!!

On 12 June 2014, I drove westwards to the mountains, along Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66) as far as Maclean Pond. I did a very slow walk, and was very happy when I noticed these tiny fungi growing on a fallen, rotting log. They may have been something like an inch tall. When I come across fungi that look like these, I'm never completely sure whether they are mushrooms or if they belong to a lichen that grows mushroom-like "things". This time, I know it's a Lichen, thanks to Ken Dies' help. I had intended cropping this image to square, but then decided to leave the original, as there are a few interesting things growing from the log, including mosses and Cladonia species. "Lichenomphallia is a genus of lichenized Basidomycetes or club fungi which has spores produced on club-shaped basidia. The lichen fungus resembles a mushroom and the algae are concentrated in special tissues or lobes at the base of the fruiting body. This plant is found in both books on Lichens and books on Mushrooms as Omphalina." I had hoped to find lots of wildflowers in bloom, but the main plant was the Dandelion, so it was obviously too early after our late spring. Also a very few Shootingstars, one Blue-eyed Grass in bloom, several Valerian flowers, several clusters of Mouse-eared Chickweed, and not much else. On the way home, I drove a few of the backroads SW of Calgary, where I photographed a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, a Snipe, a Tree Swallow, a Brewer's Blackbird, and a Black Tern that was perched on a fence post. Usually, when I see Terns, they are flying fast and my camera can't catch them.

On 12 June 2014, I drove westwards to the mountains, along Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66) as far as Maclean Pond. I did a very slow walk, and was very happy when I noticed these tiny mushrooms growing on a fallen, rotting log. They may have been something like an inch tall. When I come across fungi that look like these, I'm never completely sure whether they are mushrooms or if they belong to a lichen that grows something very similar. This time, I know it's a Lichen, thanks to Ken Dies' help. "Lichenomphallia is a genus of lichenized Basidomycetes or club fungi which has spores produced on club-shaped basidia. The lichen fungus resembles a mushroom and the algae are concentrated in special tissues or lobes at the base of the fruiting body. This plant is found in both books on Lichens and books on Mushrooms as Omphalina." I had hoped to find lots of wildflowers in bloom, but the main plant was the Dandelion, so it was obviously too early after our late spring. Also a very few Shootingstars, one Blue-eyed Grass in bloom, several Valerian flowers, several clusters of Mouse-eared Chickweed, and not much else. On the way home, I drove a few of the backroads SW of Calgary, where I photographed a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, a Snipe, a Tree Swallow, a Brewer's Blackbird, and a Black Tern that was perched on a fence post. Usually, when I see Terns, they are flying fast and my camera can't catch them.

A blur, I know, but it's not everyone (or me, before that day) who gets a photo of a Mosquito on a fungus : ) Taken on 12 June 2014, when I drove westwards towards the mountains. I wasn't sure how far along Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66) I would get, as I didn't leave till the afternoon. I ended up going to Maclean Pond, which isn't all that far past Bragg Creek. After taking a couple of photos of this, I realized I had been bitten on my finger, either by this Mosquito or one of its friends. This is a Lichen, not a mushroom. "Lichenomphallia is a genus of lichenized Basidomycetes or club fungi which has spores produced on club-shaped basidia. The lichen fungus resembles a mushroom and the algae are concentrated in special tissues or lobes at the base of the fruiting body. This plant is found in both books on Lichens and books on Mushrooms as Omphalina." I had hoped to find lots of wildflowers in bloom, but the main plant was the Dandelion, so it was obviously too early after our late spring. Also a very few Shootingstars, one Blue-eyed Grass in bloom, several Valerian flowers, several clusters of Mouse-eared Chickweed and one of Calypso Orchids, and not much else. On the way home, I drove a few of the backroads SW of Calgary, where I photographed a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, a Snipe, a Tree Swallow, a Brewer's Blackbird, and a Black Tern that was perched on a fence post. Usually, when I see Terns, they are flying fast and my camera can't catch them.

I've had problems transferring my photos from Flickr to ipernity this past week. They kept appearing in the wrong order, so I've just this minute caught up by uploading them from my computer - takes so much longer to do it this way, copying and pasting all the info. I fell behind and haven't been on ipernity - trying to cut back on computer use because of my painful shoulders, plus having to go to physiotherapy. Now the physio has changed to just one shoulder plus my back, as the intense pain in my back is stopping me going on my birding and botany walks. I guess all the pain is connected, which is really frustrating. My apologies especially to Art, as I have fallen behind with commenting on his beautiful images! Yesterday afternoon, 12 June 2014, I drove westwards to the mountains, along Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66) as far as Maclean Pond. I did a very slow walk, and was happy when I noticed these tiny mushrooms growing on a fallen, rotting log. The tallest one may have been an inch tall, so you can imagine how small the smallest one was. When I come across fungi that look like these, I'm never completely sure whether they are mushrooms or if they belong to a lichen that grows something very similar. If it is, in fact, a lichen (Lichenomphallia ericetorum), then the following information would apply: "Lichenomphallia is a genus of lichenized Basidomycetes or club fungi which has spores produced on club-shaped basidia. The lichen fungus resembles a mushroom and the algae are concentrated in special tissues or lobes at the base of the fruiting body. This plant is found in both books on Lichens and books on Mushrooms as Omphalina." Many thanks, Ken, for the ID confirmation - Lichenomphallia ericetorum. The previously posted image in a comment box below shows the lichen (Lichenomphallia ericetorum). I had hoped to find lots of wildflowers in bloom, but the main plant was the Dandelion, so it was obviously too early after our late spring. Also a very few Shootingstars, one Blue-eyed Grass in bloom, several Valerian flowers, several clusters of Mouse-eared Chickweed, and not much else. On the way home, I drove a few of the backroads SW of Calgary, where I photographed a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, a Snipe, a Tree Swallow, a Brewer's Blackbird, and a Black Tern that was perched on a fence post. Usually, when I see Terns, they are flying fast and my camera can't catch them. The forecast was for rain last night (which did arrive) and rain today, which is why I went for a drive yesterday. So far this morning, the sky is overcast and dreary and it looks like more rain is coming. Yesterday, while I was photographing the Bluebirds, there was a cold wind blowing and the temperature was only around 10°C.

Thanks, Doug, for explaining that this is, in fact, a Lichen (Lichenomphallia ericetorum), not a mushroom. It just looks like a mushroom : ) These are only very small and were growing on a rotting log at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park yesterday. Doug, I do hope you don't mind if I use the information that you included with one of your photo (thanks): "Lichenomphallia is a genus of lichenized Basidomycetes or club fungi which has spores produced on club-shaped basidia. The lichen fungus resembles a mushroom and the algae are concentrated in special tissues or lobes at the base of the fruiting body. This plant is found in both books on Lichens and books on Mushrooms as Omphalina."