Top Photo: Tiny yellow flower of Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber. The fruit of the Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber is about an inch long. They look more like tiny watermelons but have the taste of a cucumber with a lemony tang. These vines grow in many locations throughout our campus, wherever they’re not supposed to grow. I intended to plant this vegetable in my own personal garden at home this year but was sidetracked by other matters. I’ll make sure toRead more
Posts tagged: #fungi.
A Trip Outdoors
Top Photo: Rudbeckia as part of the new “Prairie” in Catch the Wind. Life goes on along the outdoor loop through Catch the Wind, Explore the Wild, and the Dinosaur Trail. Here’s some of what’s happening out there. The tiny fruit of autumn olive is ripening. Though a non-native plant, the fruit is edible and has a sweet-tart taste. You should hold off on picking and eating until it ripens. When the fruit turns red with whitish speckles, that’s theRead more
The Lion’s Mane
I was first alerted to its presence by Facilities Tech, Daniel last Saturday, “Did you see that giant fungus growing on a tree next to the parking lot?” I hadn’t, but made it a point to check it out, probably a large shelf mushroom. During the course of the day, a very busy day here at the Museum, I’d forgotten all about the fungus. Until yesterday that is, when Richard Stickney of the Butterfly Conservatory showed me a picture he’d take of theRead more
A Bracket Fungus
Most of us are familiar with bracket fungus, whether we know it or not. Bracket fungus, or shelf fungus, is the typically small fungus that grows on the sides of tree trunks or logs. They look like little shelves. There are a couple of large bracket fungi growing from an oak tree on the Dinosaur Trail. The tree is between the Styracosaurus and the Fossil Dig. While you’re digging for shark’s teeth, take a break and have a peek at theRead more