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Explorations along Upper Bell Creek: August 2018 Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2018) |
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Explorations along Upper Bell Creek: August 2018 Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2018) |
| Botanical finds from several August treks in the Upper Bell Creek vicinity... Mid August 2018: |
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| I saw lots of fungi, like this unidentified mushroom |
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| Colorful Amanita jacksonii |
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| Northern Horsebalm (Collinsonia canadensis) |
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| Unidentified mushroom on a moss-covered log fallen across the creek. |
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| Coral fungi, probably a Ramaria species |
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| Lone, thin mushroom - unidentified |
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| Beech-drops (Epifagus virginiana), not yet in bloom. This parasitic plant grows on and gets its nutrients from the roots of the American beech. |
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| Unidentified mushroom |
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| Pinwheel Marasmius (Marasmius rotula) These tiny mushrooms aren't much bigger than pins. |
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| Dead Man's Fingers (Xylaria sp.) in the crevice of a rotted fallen tree trunk. |
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| Pinwheel Marasmius in front of a Puffball |
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| Black Trumpets, aka Horn of Plenty (Craterellus fallax) Tasty mushrooms, but being at the end of their season, I didn't see many... |
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| Late August: |
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| Another coral fungi - Artomyces pyxidatus |
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| A couple of tiny mushrooms; the pink one is a Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura). |
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| Pair of Puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum?) |
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| Large Spirobolid millipede, about 4 1/2 inches long |
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| Stereum complicatum - bracket fungi on a mossy tree trunk... |
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| One of the Amanita species (?) |
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| A few days later: |
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| Quintet of Stalked Puffballs-in-Aspic (Calostoma cinnabarinum) that I have been following for the past month. |
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| American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) trees sure have interesting roots! |
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| When I came across this Beech, being "the time of year", I started looking for Beech-drops that might be growing around the tree. I was astounded by what I saw - literally hundreds of beech-drops covered the area surrounding the tree. Even sixty feet from the trunk, I had to be careful not to step on any, they were so thick. I typically see 20-30, maybe as many as 50-60 around a Beech, but never anything like this. Beech-drops (Epifagus virginianus) are parasitic plants that obtain their nutrients from the roots of the American Beech. |
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| Detail of Beech-drop flowers |
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| Buffalo Nut (Pyrularia pubera) |
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| Interesting mushroom with a couple of Monotropa uniflora gone to seed |
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| Colorful mushrooms (Lactarius sp.) |
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| One of the Boletes (?) |
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| Small mushroom on rotted log... |
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| Tiny translucent mushrooms (Marasmius sp.?) growing on an old decaying tree trunk. |
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| Chicory (Cichorium intybus) flower with buds |
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| Last day of August: |
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| Horsebalm - a yellower example than the one pictured earlier on this page. These aren't often found in decent "photo" condition; I was pleased to see this specimen. |
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| Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) Wanting to check something across a creek, I swung around a tree on the bank and stepped down to some rocks to cross the creek. I must have stepped right over this rattler without seeing it. On my return just minutes later, I was about to step back up on the bank when something caught by eye below and I pulled my leg back. The snake barely moved the entire time, even as I photographed it. |
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| EXTRA !!! During the first of these August treks, I made an exciting discovery - a population of uncommon and seldom seen Three Birds Orchids! I later found another small colony about 1/4 mile away: |
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| Documentation of those TBO blooms can be viewed on a separate page: Three Birds Orchids in the SNWA |