There's a quiet spot on the FRC campus surrounded by the various wings of the MAIN building. Beneath one of the outdoor stairways there's a stump of what was a 3-foot diameter Ponderosa Pine. Several years ago, this was a great spot to see the Orange Peel Fungus. Due to some landscaping changes, they no longer grow there. But late last summer I spotted a small bracket fungus emerging from a crack in this stump. It has grown. Probably quadruple the size it was last August. That's not to mention the portion of the fungus that lies underground. It could spread hundreds of feet fro this point, going under buildings and paved walkways. I don't have the means to investigate the extent of the fungus such as this, but just seeing its small, above-ground manifestation fires up my imagination. I also find the reddish brown pigmentation beautiful. I hope they leave this stump and surrounding area alone for a few years. Maybe the Orange Peel fungus will come back.
Great post. There's a whole world underfoot that most of us never notice or know anything about.
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