Coastal BC Fungi: Mitrula elegans (Match-stick Fungus)
Match-stick Fungus
I live in a float cabin on Powell Lake in Coastal BC. Each year, a tiny plant appears right at the waterline on one of our cabin's cedar float logs. This year there are better specimens on a boom log.
On the cabin, it grows in the shade. On the boom log, it is in full sunlight. It has a white stalk and is topped with a yellow-orange fruiting body. It's only about 6 mm (1/4 inch) tall. It appears in April and is gone when the weather gets warm.
After a bit of searching I found the UBC (University of British Columbia) Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research website. If you like plants in nature or the garden, this is the place for YOU! There's also a forum with a wealth of information.I discovered my mystery plant is Mitrula elegans, match-stick fungus. Here is a link I found for a picture and detailed description. I just love learning new things about this wonderful place I live in. -- Margy
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Hi Margy, Interesting info. We had a little old professor here from the University of Montana who used to bring students to Haida Gwaii on a yearly basis to ident fungi(we apparently have the greatest number of different ones in the world right here on Haida Gwaii). He was an absolutely fastinating person to spend time with.
ReplyDeleteI was on a 52' schooner anchoured 90 km due west of the Queen of the North. We stayed on board that night because of the weather and we had a poor anchorage. The storm was just starting to abate when we heard the first transmission recieved by the traffic controller in Prince Rupert. The captain asked if I had heard the transmission as we were just dozing off. The the Coast Guard came on the line and it was a new fella and he could not believe what he was hearing. He asked if the "ship calling in" was putting out a mayday. No answer. There were no Maydays sent by the North. We knew when everyone was all clear from the ship but we did not know until we went ashore at Limestone in the morning that the North had sunk. A sad, sad day!
I just read the book that came out written by the captain of the Queen of the North about the sinking. Truly a sad, sad day. - Margy
Deleteprecious little gifts from nature... gorgeous
ReplyDeleteHave a nice ABC-day / -week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
http://melodymusic.nl/20-m/
So delicate. - Margy
DeleteYou are so far ahead of our springtime!!!
ReplyDeleteJust barely. One day it seems like spring, then days like to day arrive. - Margy
DeleteI have never seen these before, very cute xxx
ReplyDeleteI've only seen them on the floating cedar logs right at the waterline. - Margy
DeleteThat was interesting! Thanks. I'm going to look it up so I can learn more. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've learned a lot by taking pictures and looking things up for my blog posts. - Margy
DeleteNeat little fungus!
ReplyDeleteAnd it is so short lived, only in early spring do I see the fruiting bodies. - Margy
DeleteFun fungi!
ReplyDeleteROG, ABCW
Fun play on words. - Margy
Delete