Diario de chloebouchard

One fungi that caught my attention as I was foraging the surroundings of Mont Royal was the Mycena Galericulata, formally known as the Common Bonnet. They are hard to distinguish in the wild because they come in different shades. This gill mushroom is mainly found on rotting wood and can be spotted during the summer and the fall. As the spores age, its gills can become pink and many cross-veins between gills can be noticed too. This fungi is generally considered inedible because of its rancid smell, farinaceous taste and biomass that truly isn't worth it. The name is derived from its shape. Their appearance is characteristically similar to the bonnets that the Mycenae of Ancient Greece wore.

One species that caught my attention during this field lab was the Butternut, also know as Juglans cinerea. This species was interesting because it had fruits that are lemon-shaped, almost resembling a kiwi. After further research, I learnt that this specie does not leafout in spring because of an increase in temperature, like many would think. Instead, they grow because of photoperiodism, meaning that it's the increase in daylight helps them spring. Another interesting fact about the butternut is that its seasonality is all year long. Even if they are rarer during the winter period, they are still there! Lastly, an adaptation that all of my observations had in common were their green leaves. Their green colour stems from the chlorrophyl that composes it. Chlorophyll helps them absorb sunlight, and since many of my observations were short sized, they need more help absorbing sunlight.