Week of July 25, 2022

This week was unique because I was out of town for the first couple of days. Today, Wednesday, was misty/rainy but I decided to give it a go, hoping that the mosquitoes wouldn't eat me alive. When I reached the path on the beginning edge of my site, I counted all of the mushrooms that had popped up along the way until I reached the far edge of my site. Mushrooms tend to love moisture and I counted 79 mushrooms as I swatted around my face, trying to deter the mosquitoes from landing. Here are some pictures I took of my little mushroom friends. I also included a picture of one of many dewy spiderwebs.

NEW SPECIES

1. Pleated Inkcaps

 Parasola plicatilis.

They look like little pleated parasols. The word Inkcap in its name is a bit misleading. Some similar looking mushrooms do make a black fluid when touched, but this one doesn't. These little mushrooms can be found on many continents. Their lifespan is very short, both sprouting and falling apart within a day. I found these on the 25th and later when I returned in the week, there was not evidence of them to be found. It can be found or alone. I found many this time. It grows well on grass where there is good sunlight.

Collins, A. (2022, February 8). Parasola plicatilis: The pleated inkcap mushroom identification & more. Healing-Mushrooms.net. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://healing-mushrooms.net/parasola-plicatilis

 

More observations: The other day that I was able to visit my site, the weather was perfect - sunny with some clouds and a slight breeze. The birds were singing, insects a-buzzing and trees were swooshing; just beautiful and relaxing. The recent rain really greened things up even more and the breeze has made the oppressive humidity dissipate. I enjoyed observing some bumblebees pollinating various flowers but they kept moving too fast for me to capture them.

2. Missouri Ironweed

Vernonia missurica

This flower is in the family Asteracaea, so its brothers and sisters are the asters, sunflowers and daisies. This is one of Missouri's ironweeds and is distinctive because it has a larger number of florets per flowerhead as well as hairy leave undersides and stems. These gorgeous flowers bloom in mid-late summer. These plants can grow between 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet tall and can be found anywhere from banks of streams and rivers, to forests, swamps, fens, to prairies; also pastures, ditches, old fields, fencerows, roadsides, and other open, disturbed areas. Mary's Meadow is similar to some of these places so it's no surprise that I found it there. 

Missouri Department of Conservation. (2022). Missouri ironweed. Missouri Department of Conservation. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/missouri-ironweed

3. Canada Wild Lettuce

Latuca canadensis

hedricj. (2019). Canada Wild Lettuce. photograph, Illinois.

Canada Wild Lettuce is in the daisy family and has a long taproot. It is a biennial plant. Its leaves remind me a little of a dandelion's leaves in that they are similarly lobed. The flower heads are apparently similar to a Dandelion as well, being yellow and then eventually having fluffy white tufts. It can grow in moist to dry habitats in a variety of soil types. However it prefers loamy soil best in sunny places. This hearty plant can be found not only in habitats like Mary's Meadow, but also in woods, prairies, fields, bordering lakes and rivers and along more disturbed places like fencerows, railroads and roads. The leaves contain lacucarium which has some medicinal benefits including as a sedative or to help calm one experiencing anxiety. The sap has been used externally to treat warts. Not only is it medicinal, but edible as some people enjoy cooking and eating young leaves and stems.

Canada wild lettuce (Lactuca canadensis). iNaturalist Canada. (2022). Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/53110-Lactuca-canadensis

4. Asian Lady Beetle

Harmonia axyridis

This insect was first found in the US in Louisiana in 1988. Adults are about 1/4 inch long. Interestingly, they like to congregate in the afternoon sun, which were the weather conditions that I found them. The Asian Lady Beetle can live for three years. It doesn't tend to destroy plants in favor of aphids. However some people consider them pests because they find a way into buildings in the fall and give off a foul smelling yellow liquid when they feel threatened. They  often live among agricultural crops but can be found in other places as well.  

Entomology at the University of Kentucky. (2022). Asian Lady Beetle Infestation of Structures. UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef416

CREATIVE CONTRIBUTION THIS WEEK:

Here is a unique panoramic image of both ends of Mary's Meadow with the sky in between. Pick up your computer, if you can, and flip it upside down to see both points of view.

Sea-Sky 

by Eva Webb

Today the sky and land reminded me of the sea for some reason. 

The clouds moved like jellyfish, slow and graceful.

Tree branches and plants swayed like seaweed disturbed by the currents. 

Dragonflies, bees and birds darted around like little fish, 

playing hide and seek,

and the Turkey Vulture glided ominously nearby like a shark,

seeking out its next meal.

The waters that were separated long ago, today seemed to 

waltz together again.

*QUESTION OF THE WEEK*

What animal species/guilds seem to be abundant and/or influential in your ecosystem? What were they doing or eating? Describe one animal interaction you saw happening and speculate as to its significance.

I saw various birds, dragonflies, bees, grasshoppers, butterflies, lady beetles and, of course, mosquitoes. The birds were chirping and flitting about. The butterflies and bees were drinking nectar and pollinating flowers. The grasshoppers, dragonflies, and lady beetles seemed to be enjoying the warmth of the sun, moving up and down stems. I enjoyed seeing some swallowtail butterflies dancing around the air together.