NC, Smokies, 20060610
CabinCove, Rambo's Ridge and Asbury, many flowers and fungi.

Flowers

Hylocichla mustelina[MISSING PHOTO]

Just recorded the song behind cabin.

Amianthium muscaetoxicum []

On top of Chestnut Top; starting to fl.
GEN tall erect unbr herb
ST 10dm or taller?
LF 20mm or wider, grass-like, many, most basal, 4-5 reduced alt caul lvs
INFL d pyramidal term rac, about 100x40mm (but not fully developed), pedicel 15mm & white, fls and pedicel spread, 1 scale-like whitish bract at base of each pedicel
TEP 6, free, white, 4x2mm, oblong, spread, all essentially equal
STAM 6, white, 4mm, arching up
ANTH 1mm, lt yell, dorsifix, lat slit
OV 3, sup, lance, white, glab, 5mm tall, joined or at least touching most of the way up

Arabis laevigata laevigata

On Rambo's ridge and Chestnut Top; mixture of specimens.
GEN erect peren herb
LF
basal oblance, sharply and deeply serr, 80x30+0mm, sess
caul lin, 150x25+0mm, aur-clasp, sharply and deeply serr ab mid
glab, glauc (scratch test passes even though it doesn't look the slightest bluish or whitish), much reduced ab
INFL term rac, rachis about 120mm long in fr, pedicels ~10mm and spread in fr, glab
FR 70-80x1.5-2mm, sl flat, 1 row seeds per chamb, arching out 90+deg, beak < 1mm

Bromus purgans

From Asbury ridge near Hoglen Gap.
GEN tall grass, ann? (no dead lvs and v small root tuft), to 9-10dm
ST simple, abruptly decumb at v base, glab, nodes glab
LF 5.5mm wide, spread, glab, blade veins v raised both sides, ant scaber both sides, prow tip??, sheath 95% closed
LIG min erose, tiny tufts of arach at aurs
INFL term pan, 15x10-15mm, 15 spklts or so, ant scab, internodes and pedicels long
SPKLT 15x1mm, terete, 4-6 fls
gls 1 and 3 veins (rarely 2-3 and 5), narr sharp acute, 6.5 and 7mm, scar marg, no keel, sl r scaber veins
lem 11-12mm, teeth 0.4mm, 7 veins, v min puber esp bel, no keel, 3 veins r outside, awn 6-8mm & min ant scaber & straight
pal 7.5mm, min cil, 2 veins, scar
Wofford claims the lemma is glab, while RA&B claims it is pubesc; also RA&B claims it should have more fls per spklt and spreading infl brs. But this is the only one listed in either that comes close. Oh, and of course, it is perennial.

Monotropa uniflora

On slope up to Rambo's ridge; starting to fl.
GEN cluster of small white saprophytic herbs
ST erect, top pend
LF alt, appress, scale-like, brittle, white
INFL 1 fl at top, fl abruptly pend
SEP 5, white, free, leaf-like, 12x4.5mm, oblong to sl oblance, rounde to trunc tip, sl saccate base
PET none
STAM 10, 9mm, sl < sep, white, pubesc, anth brown, fitting between 10 little knobs around base of ov
OV 1, sup, white, lance, glab, top cup-shaped w 5 veins inside, 11x4mm
Apparently the sepals are absent and those are petals how can you tell?

Panicum laxiflorum

Small grass on slope up to Rambo's ridge.
GEN cesp grass, peren, small (2-2.5dm)
LF 45x8mm, flat, sheath 100% open, sheath puber and cil, blade v sl ant scaber ab, nodes pubesc
INFL 40mm tall, pan, probably spreading later, 12 spklts or so
SPKLT 2x1mm sl dors comp, ellip, puber
gls 0.5 and 2mm, 1 and 5 veins, acutish, no keel
ster lem just like upper glume, sl less hairy, sl shorter, palea short
fert lem 1.9mm, obtuse, harder, whitish, finely retic pattern, smooth, only v sl longer than palea
Looks a little different in shady woods than in fields, not surprisingly.

Polygonatum biflorum

Just gathered a leaf from a plant up on Rambo's ridge, and yes indeed they are completely glabrous below.

Tradescantia subaspera

On Rambo's ridge in pass; in fl.
GEN tall erect zigzagged herb
LF alt, 200x35mm, lance, flat, pubesc
INFL cluster at top, two unequal lf-like bracts, pedicels 10-15mm
SEP 3, free, appress, pubesc outside, 8x3mm, lance-ellip, green
PET 3, free, showy blue-violet, they have liquesced so I can't measure them
STAM 6
OV 1, sup, d bristly, whitish
STYLE 1
Don't have the top lvs, so I don't know if they are wider than sheath, but assuming not, it would key to a species that doesn't come anywhere close.

Cardamine pensylvanica

In Misty Mellow spring; mostly in fr, few still in fl.
GEN aquatic herb, much trampled
ST > 3mm wide, all glab?
LF pin, segs irreg oblance and wavy-toothed, 10+ lflts, 120x60+30mm or more total, lflts 10-20mm wide
INFL many short term racemes, pedicels to 4mm in fl to 10mm in fr & spread to ascend a bit
SEP 1.2mm
PET white, 3mm
FR 15-22x1.5mm, straight to sl irreg, 1 row of seeds per chamb, valves rolling tightly up and/or down at maturity
SEED white, smooth, unwinged
I'll bet there is some Nasturtium officinale there, too, but this one with its tightly coiling fruit valves must be a C..

Cryptotaenia canadensis

Scattered all over dark woods; in fl, some starting to fr.
GEN med-size herb
ROOT two tap roots
ST erect, glab
LF 2 on stem, more bel each infl, ternate, lflts simple to deeply cleft, finely and sharply serr and coarsely and sharplytoothed, base long wedge, tips acute to obtuse, nearly glab to maybe min scaber under veins
INFL scraggly comp umbels
FL white, tiny
FR glab, long and narr

$Fl, at 30x. Supposedly \$

Dioscorea villosa villosa

Scattered all over; some in full fl.
GEN herb vine
LF whorled to alt ab, ov, cord base, glab, lter bel, 7 equally raised palm veins bel, acute
INFL long narr rac in upper axils (say 40x4mm) and some digitate panicles in median axils, internodes 5-8mm, pedicels nearly 0mm, all look bisex to me...
TEP 6, yellish, equal, spread 90deg, ~1x1mm, oblong rounded
STAM 6, min, opp tep, yell anth, att around hyp
OV 1, inf
STYLE 3, v short

Impatiens capensis

Along upper part of Misty Mellow spring, in moist or wet soil; in fl.
GEN tall, erect, wilts quickly
ST hollow, succulent
LF alt, ellip, coarsely rounded-serr, 140x65+55mm, base of petiole enlarged and jointed to st, glab, veins imp ab and r bel
INFL 1-3 in axils, pedicel 35mm, glab
SEP 3, lat 3x2mm or so, other 20x10mm saccate w 7mm filiform reflexed spur at end, lat lt greenish, other orange and rust-red spotted inside (but showing through)
PET 5 (though looks like 3 or maybe 4 if you count the saccate sepal as a 4th petal), bilat, ban 8x7mm, lat 17x7mm, lat pairs joined for some length (can't tell where they are separated!) and clawed, all are orange w rusty-red spots
STAM 5, joined ab and flattened hiding ov, anth cream-white powdery, total cage-like construction 3mm long by 2mm wide and high
OV 1, sup, ellip to fusiform, 2mm or so long, glab, can't tell how many chambers

Polygonatum pubescens

Just gathered a leaf from some plants near Misty Mellow, and yes indeed they are puberulent (not pubescent mind you) on the minor veins below (not on the midvein).

Rumex acetosella

By pond; in full fl.
GEN male plant
TEP 6 in 2 whorls of 3, 2mm long, yellish greenish, spread to ascend a bit
STAM at least 3, most have fallen

Mushrooms

Amanita inaurata

On top of Rambo's in mossy clump.
GEN med-tall mushroom, on mossy soil, unpleasant rotten odor
ST 90x7-10mm, tapering upward, white w thin brownish fibrous patches bel where partial veil should be, smooth at top, brittle and snapping cleanly but for fibous sheath, stuffed, white flesh
CAP flat to sl convex, 70mm wide, edge deeply split several places, shiny lt to dk greyish brown, v prom radially striate at marg for ~20mm, tacky and smooth, thin grey-brown irreg patches on top but no other sign of partial or universal veil, skin not particularly tough but sl tougher than flesh
FLESH 1-2mm, white, not tough
GILL brownish white, ~1 per mm or more, straight, clean, soft, brittle, unbr, deeply and broadly notched, 8mm wide, powdering of whitish spores fainly visible at 30x
SPORE print white to greyish (too few to really tell), clear, round, smooth, 1 cell, little knob at one end, 7.5-9um
I would have called it A. constricta due to smaller spores, but that one only occurs on west coast, possibly only California. Certainly it's one of a close complex.

Bondarzewia berkeleyi []

On Asbury trail not too far east of Hoglen Gap, near hardwoods.
GEN huge shelf mushroom growing on ground or root of hardwoods
ST none
CAP orange-brown outside to yellow inside, broad rounded marg, somewhat zoned, sl velvety
PORE angular, lt yellowish, decur
Should look at flesh and try KOH test. All the Phaeolus described in Arora are conifer lovers, although Lincoff claims it is reported on some hardwoods. (I was barking up the wrong tree: it is a "stalked" polypore; and even there it is critical that you know the spores are warty to key it out properly in Arora. It also helps to see a more mature specimen which is lighter colored and matches Lincoff's picture remarkably.)

Phellinus rimosus

Nice specimen on locust (of course) on Asbury halfway to Hoglen Gap.

Pluteus leoninus?

Up near top of Chestnut Top growing inside hollowed stump near top of huge falled chestnut oak.
GEN med mushroom, on dead oak stump
ST twisted, whitish, shiny-fibrous, 70x6-8mm or longer, brittle, solid, shredding instead of breaking cleanly
CAP 60mm wide, irreg flat to sl convex to sl umbonate, yellow to sl ochre to stained brownish on umbo and brown striations near edge, skin soft and not particularly tough (but tougher than flesh)
FLESH 3mm, white, soft, breaking easily but not brittle
GILL dirty reddish brownish, sl more than 1 per mm, unbr, 8mm wide, soft and thin, totally free, masses of beaded up cin-brown spores easily visible at 30x
SPORE print bright cinnamon, colorless, round, smooth, 1 cell, 6.4um, tend to attract into neat flat closely-packed rafts
Hard to call that spore print salmon or pinkish in any way, but the free brownish gills seem to lead me to Pluteus no matter where I search.

Russula lutea

Up near top of Chestnut Top by top of huge fallen chestnut oak.
GEN med to large mushroom, no veil, in soil
ST tapering upward, 70x15-22mm, solid, white, brittle, snapping like chalk, soft, dry
CAP 75mm wide, plane to sl concave, marg rounded down, thin bright lt yellow skin, dry
FLESH 5-6mm thick, brittle, white
GILL v sl yellish, straight, less than 1 per mm, unbr, 8mm wide, brittle, notched to free
SPORE print white, colorless, ellip, 1 cell, d min warty, 7.5-9x6-7.5um
Both Lincoff and Arora claim the gills should be ochre (although Arora keys it as yellowish). But definitely doesn't age grey, even over night.

Tricholomopsis platyphylla

Near top of slope up to Rambo's ridge in soil; another along Asbury Trail.
GEN med mushroom, on soil in open dry hardwood forest
ST 50x8-10mm, thicker at both ends, white to sl off-white, fibrous, tough, bends but doesn't break or split at all, hollow, watery flesh
CAP 40-50mm wide, convex, marg min curled in, dry fibrous lt and dk brown, fibers running radially, sort of a "shiny" effect
FLESH white, tough, 4mm thick
GILL white, 7mm wide, less than 1 per mm, unbr, thin but tough, deeply and widely notched, white spores visible as powder at 30x
SPORE print white? (too few to be sure), colorless, smooth, 1 cell, ellip, min knob on one end, 6.5-9x5-6um, sticking to each other and coallescing into densely packed rafts
Supposedly associated with wood, though I don'tremember any of these funcy runners they talk about.

$Close-up of gills, at 30x. Note the dk brown \$

Agaricus diminutivus-group? []

Close to bottom of slope up to Rambo's ridge.
GEN med mushroom, on soil immediately beneath a rotting hardwood log, not acrid, odor mild to sl unpleasant
ST 70x5-6mm, thicker at base, lt brown, lter ab, brown streaked bel, white cottony sl bulbous base, thin membranous ragged veil remnants at ~70%, hollow, snaps but fibrous outer cover
CAP 50mm, flat to sl umbonate, marg not ragged at all, dull greyish lt brown w much dker umbo, lter at v edge where veil remnants ext past gills, v thin stretchy skin, fine scratches in skin turn orangish, KOH stains it brown
FLESH v lt brown, dry, 4mm thick
GILL v thin but pretty straight, dirty brownish, unbr, 1 per mm or so, notched, 5mm wide or so, dk brown spores easily visible as peppering at 30x, dk brown min beads also visible at 30x (presumably cystidia)
SPORE print chocolate brown, lt brown, smooth, 1 cell, ellip to sl ov, 7.5x5.5um
Hard to feel confident: sl too large, and spores way too large.

Lactarius subvellereus

On Misty Mellow just before stream crossing on right.
GEN med to large mushroom, on ground under conifers, oozing white latex when cut when fresh, no veil, flesh v acrid, bruising or staining brownish
ST 40x20mm, hollow (or being eaten by maggots), snapping like chalk, dry and colored like cap
CAP 80mm wide, vase, edge curled under, white w masses of brownish fibers thinly and irregly covering it, dry, tough skin
FLESH 5mm thick, rubbery, white, brittle
GILL v decur, distant, wavy, 1 per mm, 6mm wide, white, brittle, unbr
SPORE print white, ellip, 1 cell, colorless, d min spiky, 10-12x9-10um

Xeromphalina campanella

On slope up to Rambo's ridge.
GEN tiny scattered to few-clustered mushroom, on v rotten wood and surrounding debris
ST 10x0.5mm or taller, curving up, dk tawny orange to brown at base, v min hairy to d finely white fuzzy at foot
CAP 5mm, bell, sl indent in ctr, becoming sl frayed at edge in age, tawny golden orange, dker in ctr, striate around marg (seeing gills through cap I think), v min scurfy? not quite smooth at least
GILL v decur, v lt yellish, v br'd, relatively distant
SPORE print whitish (not sufficient quantity to be sure), smooth, ellip, colorless, 1 cell, ~5x3um
Actually light buff or yellowish spore print. If those are hardwood logs (there were lots of hemlocks down on that slope, so I doubt it), then this should be X. kauffmanii.