This week in the woods, we stumbled upon several yellow birch logs completely engulfed in the fruiting bodies of turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) a polypore fungus that commonly grows on the decomposing wood of deciduous trees. As noted in this Outside Story essay by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul, turkey tail is beautiful for both its form and its varied color bands:
It grows in rows along fallen trees, or circling dead stumps, or in colorful clusters of rosettes whose wavering edges and vibrant hues seem to ripple and swirl like a flamenco dancer’s skirts.
Although there are some other polypores that superficially resemble turkey tail, you can confirm you’ve found the real thing by looking on the underside, which should be white to yellow in color and covered in small, round pores instead of gills.
Another eye-catching polypore that becomes more noticeable this time of year, as the understory fades, is violet toothed polypore. Fruiting bodies bear dark-to-bright purple bands, and if you peek on the underside, you’ll often find a range of beautiful violet colors. As with turkey tail, the fruiting bodies of this fungus often appears in abundance in overlapping rows on decomposing wood.
Flocks of white-throated sparrows are showing up in bramble patches and shrubby fields. Some of these birds are present in our region all year, but the species’ winter range extends into Florida, and flock we see now are often just resting and foraging between nighttime migration flights.
One of our favorite autumn leaf displays is that of hobblebush, a common viburnum in moist, rich forest soils. Although most deciduous trees and shrubs show some leaf-to-leaf variation in autumn color, hobblebush takes this to an extreme. Every leaf has its own unique markings, with a spectacular range of yellows, pinks, reds, and purples.
Finally, as you’re out enjoying fall color, take a moment to look for small evergreens on the forest floor. Two of our favorites are the orchids downy rattlesnake-plantain (pictured) and its cousin, checkered rattlesnake-plantain, and we find both fairly often in the Upper Valley region. In summer, these plants send up peduncles (stalks) bearing small white flowers, but in our view, the delicate white-to-silver crisscrossing on the leaves is the plants’ most appealing feature.
What have you noticed in the woods this week? Submit a recent photo for possible inclusion in our monthly online Reader Photo Gallery.