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Twin Flower |
Notice the open canopy here that allows more light to enter the forest. This causes the plant communities to vary. Here you can see several common low-lying plants such as twin flower (Linnaea borealis - an evergreen creeper that produces two identical tiny pink and white flowers), Queens Cup (Clintonia uniflora), and Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis). The squirrels in these woods are called Douglas’ Squirrels. If you look at the cut log in the trail here, you will also notice that cut or downed logs often provide the perfect growing medium for various fungi
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Queens Cup/Bead Lily (Clintonia uniflora): The two elongated basal leaves are a common sight in these forests. A thin stalk bears a single white flower which turns into a metallic purple berry. The berry production by the plants is sporadic and some years all plants bear berries but in other years we’ve seen only a few. Queens Cup can be easily confused with the Round Leaved Rein Orchid until it flowers |
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Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis): This low-lying cheerful plant is the smallest member of the dogwood family. It bears symmetrical four-petaled flowers followed by bunches of bright red berries. Even though the edible berries are a favorite foraging food for chipmunks and squirrels, they are rather seedy and mealy for my taste. |
The pink mold (right photo) is the prominent mold you see growing on the cut log at this station. In the summer months it exudes an orange liquid and is quite strange-looking. The photo on the left is a fungus called Eyelash Cup (Scutellinia scutellata). A close-up view reveals tiny “eyelash hairs” fringing the orange pads. It is an unobtrusive, relatively rare fungus in these forests. Dead trees provide a productive growing medium for all types of fungi.
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Birds Nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve (also known as Crucibulum vulgare)) grows on rotting logs. It produces tiny little white balls inside the “nests” that look like miniature eggs. These “eggs” are its spores. |
