Maple stump is now oozing fungi. Several days of daily rain. Tree was 92-97 years old when cut down. Extensive roots. #fungifriends

The next phase of the same maple stump. Fairfield, CT, USA #fungifriends

No sure what this is. There was more than one on the forest floor (yes under exposed) Easton, CT, USA #nature

Really don't know what mushroom this is. Crow Valley Nature Preserve, Easton, CT, USA #fungifriends

Species: Milk-white Toothed Polypore (Irpex lacteus)?? [not at all familiar with fungus] Description: White, uniform thickness. The surface is textured. Crow Hill Nature Preserve, Easton, CT, USA Did not get good pictures of larva eating the fungus. ?Ischyrus quadripunctatus? #fungifriends

Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum Height: Between ankle and knee high. Enjoys moist shaded environments. Has been classified as a noxious weed. Ansonia Nature Center, Ansonia, CT, USA #nature #flowers

Invasive specie elimination session today. Trout Valley, Aspectuck Land Trust, Easton, CT USA Euonymus alatus, Rosa multiflora, Berberis thunbergii, Celastrus orbiculatus, and Alliaria petiolata 3 people contributed to the pile over 2 hours. #nature #invasive

Evergreen Woodfern, Dryopteris intermedia Aspectuck Land Trust, Easton, CT, USA The only difference between D. intermedia and D. carthusiana is the inner most pinnule of the lowest pair of pinna. The inner most pinnule are shorter than other pinnules is the D. intermedia character #fern #ferns

The fern is Cinnamon Fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. The orange stalks are the female parts of the plant. The orange tiny spheres are sporangia. They hold the spores that will be released later. Look under the fronds. Look where the stem meets the leaf. There should be a white fuzzy dots.

Fungi growing on log. Suprising to find them given the dry conditions. I do not know the species. Easton, CT, USA #fungifriends

Why mugwort, Attemisia sp., is so invasive. Look at the rhizomes. #invasive

Marsh fern is found in most of the Eastern US (and Europe). Picture from iNaturalist. I have seen Marsh fern in Connecticut.

Assorted garden flowers #flowers

Wood frog, Lithobates sylvaticus

Assorted sporangia Left - Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides Center - Royal fern, Osmunda spectabilis Right - Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana #fern #ferns

Hay-scented fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula domesticated It can be mistaken for Lady Fern, Athyrium filix-femina The stipe has hairs instead of scales. #fern #ferns

Ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris The 'hedge' of Ostrich fern. Yes, they are in direct sun. They will burn in August, but survive. There is some mutual shading. Ferns were established when Hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis) were present. They died due to Adelges tsugae. #fern #ferns

Sensitive Fern, Onocela sensibilis 360 Sensitive fern withers upon the first frost, thus its name The stalks with dark clumps of sporangia are last year's growth that have released their spores this spring #fern #ferns

Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana 360 The sporangia are brown and mature. They appear about 1/3 up the plant. The sporangia 'interrupt' the frond, thus the name The sporangia shape is similar to Royal fern (Osmunda spectibilis), but in a different location. #fern #ferns

Royal fern, Osmunda spectibilis - The North American species of Royal fern 360 The sporangia are at the tip of the frond. In the video the tip is still green, but is rough and round, not leaf shaped. Will turn brown as the sporangia mature. Unique that the sporangia are the tip of the frond.

Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides 360 The sporangia are 'naked' on the underside of the pinna at the upper 1/2 to 1/3 to the tip of the frond. The sporangia are green at this time. The underside is whitish green. The pinna will curl as the sporangia. #fern #ferns

Cinnamon fern, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum 360 The cinnamon colored spikes are the fertile fronds with specialized fronds where the sporangia grow, each with the spores of the fern. #fern #ferns

What was pulled. Left What was cleared. Center What is left to do. Right 2 hours Trout Valley Preserve, Aspectuck Land Trust, Weston, CT, USA #invasive

Interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana Close up of the fertile fronds having recently emerged. The sporangia of interrupted fern are found in three fertile pinna about a third of the way up the plant. The rest of the pinna are sterile. Thus its name interrupted. #ferns #ferns

+26 days #fern #fenrs Interrupted fern (R) is more aggressive at growing than the Cinnamon fern (L) They are both about the same size when mature.

The last stage of female Sensitive fern, Onocela sensibilis, having released all of its spores. #fern #ferns

Fiddle heads. Macro pictures. Interrupted fern (L), Ostrich fern (C), Christmas Fern (R) #fern #ferns

Ferns, given time, seem to create 'fairy rings'. The scientific term is radial growth. It is a clonal ring, genet ring. Cinnamon fern (L), Royal fern (C), Interrupted fern (R) #fern #ferns

More 'family' resemblence. Cinnamon fern (L), Royal fern (C), Interrupted fern (R). All are members of the family Osmundaceae. Cinnamon fern has the thickest woolly coating. Royal fern is similar to cinnamon fern, but has brown/biege streaks. Interrupted fern is the thinnest. #fern #ferns