Shelf Fungi
Shelf fungi or polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores and tubes on the underside, that inhabit tree trunks or branches consuming the wood, they are also the most important agent of wood decay by playing a significant role in nutrient cycling and aiding carbon dioxide absorption by forest ecosystems.
Polypores are also known as bracket fungi or shelf fungi because they characteristically produce woody, shelf or bracket shaped fruiting bodies that are called conks. Shelf fungi are mainly found on trees (mostly dead or dying) and coarse woody debris, and often resemble mushrooms.
Polypores are a lot more diverse in old natural forests with abundant dead wood than in younger forests. Currently, over a thousand polypore species have been described by science. However, a number of species have declined and are under the threat of extinction due to logging and deforestation.
Pitch Pine
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) is a small to medium size tree that is native to Eastern North America. It is irregular in shape and grows to a height of 20 to 98 feet. They grow rapidly when they are young, up until around 50 years, then growth slows, and can live for about 200 years.
The branches are usually twisted and the needles are in bundles of three, and about 2 1/4 to 5 inches in length. Pine cones are long and oval in shape and have prickles on the scales. The cones usually take 2 to 3 years to mature and the seeds within the cones are dispersed during the Fall to Winter.
Pitch pine has the ability to regenerate if the trunk is damaged by fire or is cut. The bark, which consists of thick and irregular plates, can protect the inner layers from heat. The tree can also re-sprout using epicormic shoots from its damaged areas. Pitch pine provides housing and food for many wildlife species. Birds nest in its branches, deer consume the new sprouts and small mammals and birds eat the seeds.
Lady Slipper
The Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedioideae) are a subfamily of orchids that are characterised by the slipper-shaped pouches of the flower. These pouches are pink in color, singular on a stem, and are topped with green and brownish maroon sepals. Most plants have one or two flowers on a stem that that can grow 12 to 24 inches tall.
The pouches trap insects so that they are forced to crawl out past the staminode, where they collect or deposit pollen, fertilizing the flower. They also don’t contain nectar, so when an insect learns this, it may choose to leave the plant alone. This could be why there are not many plants in the wild and why they are considered critically endangered.
The Lady’s Slipper flowers can be found under trees, shrubs and along the paths throughout Mighton Woods during the Spring/Summer months, only the leaves are visible during the Winter months.
Please do not pick Lady’s Slipper flowers, they are endangered..