You knew I would do this. A few blog posts ago I said I wouldn't shoot any more photos of the Orange Peel Fungus unless in its end-of-season deterioration I saw aesthetic qualities that I couldn't resist. Well, that happened today. I made my daily visit and decided there was something very appealing about the signs of their returning to the soil. These are all connected beneath the surface by a thin membrane called a mycelium, so the fungus isn't really dying. It's simply a matter of the above-ground parts shrinking back and disappearing for the winter. I decided to take some photos without removing any of the leaves and pine needles that were beginning to cover the area.
Any day now, I figure a snow storm or a groundskeeper will finish the process and I won't see them again until the fall of 2014 - except when I review my blog.
For a last chance to see this unusual fungus, check out the open area among the 6000 series buildings on the FRC campus. This area is beneath an outdoor stairway visible just outside the north-facing window of Dr. Trutna's office.
If anyone reading this knows of other patches of Orange Peel Fungus in Plumas or neighboring counties, I would love to know about them. Email me your photos and I might post them.
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