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Abscission is such a fun phenomenon to witness in the fall! It felt like it was raining gold while we were picnicking at the park under these Tulip Poplars and sycamores. Abscission is when the leaf is cut at the petiole (by the tree itself) once the tree no longer finds it worthwhile to keep the tissue. Wind comes along and detached the leaf, which then falls to the ground (or bonks you in the head mid-apple bite) relatively nearby. Decomposers break the old leaf down and return those nutrients to the parent tree to start growing new leaves again in the spring.
The colors of trees are so meaningful - each pigment plays a special role in plant health! On October 24th (10am), at @jagardens , dive into the science of plant colors through hands-on observation and exploration where participants (ages 4+) will get to take home their very own flower and tree leaf pounding project.
"Spots are on them!" Yes! Some mushrooms have speckles, warts, or a polkadot appearance on the top of their cap. These pieces are remnants of what is called a Universal Veil. This veil is almost like a single-user wrapper over the mushroom that protects it as it grows. As the mushroom gets bigger and expands, it bursts through the veil, breaking it apart. The bits that were stuck to the cap remain as these speckles. Often, knowing if the mushroom has "veil remnants" can be a helpful tool in identifying a mushroom with your field guide. Not every mushroom has a veil, or will have leftover pieces of their veil!
There are a variety of ways to identify various mushroom families and genus. One of my favorite little groups of mushrooms are Boletes, mainly due to their dumpy, rotund, and often quite colorful appearances. They often grow around the base of a Pin Oak we explore, so it has been great fun getting to know them even more.
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