I was so thrilled to see this rare fungus (Hydnellum peckii) again, when friend Sandy and I went along the Icefields Parkway to Peyto Lake (and a little further, to Mistaya Canyon), on 29 August 2013. I had seen it maybe three or so times before, but it is such a treat to see. So unusual and beautiful. There were several of these all together along the trail to the lake lookout - and nearby was a blue species, complete with a few blueish-white droplets. While we were looking at them and I was taking photos, a young guy stopped to see what we were looking at. He, too, took photos. A short while later, we bumped into him at the Peyto Lake lookout and he showed us his hands and fingers that had turned orange. I wondered if he had actually touched the fungus. On our walk back through the forest to the parking lot, I stopped to take a few more photos of them, resting my hands on the ground. Sure enough, I ended up with orange hands, too. Would this be from spores? This specimen may have been something like an inch in length, and has "teeth", not gills underneath, which unfortunately you can't see.
"Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and was recently discovered in Iran (2008) and Korea (2010). Hydnellum peckii is a mycorrhizal species, and forms mutually beneficial relationships with a variety of coniferous trees, growing on the ground singly, scattered, or in fused masses.
The fruit bodies typically have a funnel-shaped cap with a white edge, although the shape can be highly variable. Young, moist fruit bodies can "bleed" a bright red juice that contains a pigment known to have anticoagulant properties similar to heparin. The unusual appearance of the young fruit bodies has earned the species several descriptive common names, including strawberries and cream, the bleeding Hydnellum, the bleeding tooth fungus, the red-juice tooth, and the Devil's tooth. Although Hydnellum peckii fruit bodies are readily identifiable when young, they become brown and nondescript when they age." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_peckii
The following has been taken from the excellent UBC Botany Photo of the Day website (September 2013), which used this image:
"Hydnellum peckii, of the Bankeraceae, is a species of fungus that is widely distributed in North America. The aboveground growth is typically observed in the late summer or autumn, either growing in clusters or occurring singly. This species forms an ectomycorrhizal relationship with several different species of conifers.
The caps are often pinkish, but can be white to brown to black, as the colour and texture vary depending on age and the environmental conditions. In moist weather, bright red droplets often appear atop the cap, making this mushroom easy to identify. Characteristic to this genus, the spores are produced on pendant tooth-like projections called spines. The spores are brown, round to nearly round, and are prominently warted. The solid or woody stalk is cylindrical and is generally tapered toward the base (see: Arora, D. 1986. Mushrooms Demystified. Berkeley California: Ten Speed Press).
This mushroom is considered inedible, at least partly due to its burning-acrid taste and tough corky texture."
www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/potd/2013/09/hydnellum-peckii.php
Tags: Alberta Canada W of Calgary Rocky Mountains Banff National Park Highway 93 Icefields Parkway Peyto Lake trail to lookout nature forest mycology fungus fungi rare Strawberries and cream Bleeding Hydnellum Bleeding tooth fungus Red-juice tooth Devil's tooth Hydnellum peckii Explore interestingness#448 explore2013September02 UBC Botany Photo of the Day, 13 Sept.2013 Bankeraceae #GreatNature
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Holy smokes - this even took me a little by surprise this morning, lol!! Should have saved it to post on our next snowy day - though we are all REALLY hoping there won't be such a thing till next winter! Makes me feel a bit guilty posting something so colourful and cheery, knowing that so many people are still reeling from the deadly attack at the Boston marathon. Still hard to believe that two (comparatively) small explosions can cause so much human devastation.
Took this photo of the only Water Lily in bloom at the Calgary Zoo yesterday afternoon. Moments earlier, it had been standing tall and upright. Then the sprinkler was turned on and the weight of the water bowed down this beautiful bloom, giving a different angle on the centre.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo ENMAX Conservatory nature flora flower flowers tropical Water Lily purple yellow flower centre macro close-up waterdops vibrant colourful Explore interestingness# explore2013April18
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Yesterday morning, I went for a walk with friends in Carburn Park. It was such a beautiful morning, and 21 species of bird (all the "usual") were seen. We spotted several White-tailed Deer in amongst the trees in the distance - at which point I announced that I was going to stay and try and get a few photos : ) The thought of hopefully seeing deer had been enough to get me out of bed early and face the cold, so I wasn't going to miss this opportunity. I hung around, at a respectful distance, and was able to watch how they interacted with each other. I think I spent more time watching them than I've ever watched deer before - and it was fascinating. For most of the time, there was a mass of branches between us, but I did get a handful of reasonably open shots. This buck, along with two other bucks of different ages, eventually made their way to feed out into the open, so I only had bushes and tall grass to contend with. They were fully aware that I was there, but I still got a rather surprised look on their face each time they glanced my way.
In the afternoon, I had various errands I had to run, including desperately needing to wash my car. My joy at getting in and out of a sparkling clean car and of loading and unloading bags of groceries without getting my clothes filthy, was VERY short-lived! It snowed overnight - again : )
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_deer
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Carburn Park nature wild animal Deer White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Cervidae Capreolinae Odocoileus male buck head shot front view handsome beauty in nature SuperShot #GreatNature #animal
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This beautiful Water Lily was standing tall and upright when I first started taking photos of it at the Calgary Zoo on 16 April 2013. Then, on came the sprinklers, and the weight of the water made it lean right over. Gave me the chance, though, to see the flowerhead from different angles. Truly beautiful from which ever way you look at it.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo ENMAX Conservatory nature flora flower flowers tropical Water Lily purple yellow macro close-up underside waterdops vibrant colourful Explore interestingness#303 explore2013April29
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Ran out of time and energy late last night to find and edit just two shots for this morning : ) Also, posting really early, as I have a long day ahead of me today (unfortunately, on just one and a half hours of sleep). It's going to be a mainly sunny day with temperature of -2C (windchill -5C) this morning, but it's supposed to soar to a balmy +9C (windchill +7C) this afternoon.
A lot of people have a photo of Bleeding Heart flowers in their photostream - they are beautiful flowers. Saw these and many more at the Reader Rock Garden on 5 June 2013. This garden is situated on a hillside and it often tends to be windy whenever I go there, lol, so these delicate branches of little pink hearts are a bit of a challenge to keep in the viewfinder.
"Lamprocapnos spectabilis also known as old-fashioned bleeding-heart, Venus's car, Lady in a bath, Dutchman's trousers, or Lyre-flower is a rhizomatous perennial plant native to eastern Asia from Siberia south to Japan. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus Lamprocapnos. It is a popular ornamental plant for flower gardens in temperate climates, and is also used in floristry as a cut flower for Valentine's Day. It usually has red heart-shaped flowers with white tips which droop from arching flower stems in late spring and early summer. White-flowered forms are also cultivated." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamprocapnos
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada Reader Rock Garden nature flora flower flowers garden Bleeding Hearts Lamprocapnos spectabilis Ranunculales Papaveraceae Lamprocapnos Venus's car Lady in a bath Dutchman's trousers Lyre-flower heart-shaped pink hanging bokeh excellence FloralExcellence EiFP Hall of Fame outdoor late spring 5 June 2013 FZ200 annkelliott Anne Elliott
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