[NatureNS] pigskin purple puffballs, Jap. knotweed & honey bees, etc.

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:16:20 -0300
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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--Boundary_(ID_u1UTcJj/izzB1CalWbkPYw)
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Sept. 1, 2011 - I walked along the Wolfville Rail Trail and found a  
couple of interesting things.  Japanese knotweed is luxuriantly in  
bloom everywhere with zillions of tiny flowers that really buzzing  
with activity of oodles of honey bees.   Crown vetch is also in  
bloom, and can be found just west of the bench that is east of Cherry  
Lane.

And I found a cluster of Scleroderma puffballs, which are the ones  
with a dark purplish interior and are probably the exception to the  
"rule" about all puffballs being edible; these puffballs are very  
light brownish, irregular in shape, and larger than most ordinary  
whitish puffballs.  Two field guides of mine called them "pigskin  
poison puffball" and "earthball puffball", and their edibilities are  
listed as "poisonous" or "known to cause nausea etc." (approx.  
quotation).

On Sept. 3 I revisited these puffballs, just north of the warehouse  
that now houses the Wolfville Farm Market), and several of them show  
small bored tunnels with circular exterior holes, about 1 mm. in  
diameter, vertically down into their interiors.  I wonder what made  
these?

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

--Boundary_(ID_u1UTcJj/izzB1CalWbkPYw)
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Sept. 1, 2011 -&nbsp;<span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">I walked along =
the </span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; =
"><b>Wolfville Rail Trail </b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">and found a couple of interesting =
things.&nbsp; </span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
12px; "><b>Japanese knotweed</b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; "> is luxuriantly in bloom everywhere with =
zillions of tiny flowers that really buzzing with activity of =
</span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; =
"><b>oodles of honey bees</b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">. &nbsp; </span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>Crown =
vetch</b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
12px; "> is also in bloom, and can be found just west of the bench that =
is east of Cherry Lane.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><div><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; =
"><br></span></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">And I found a cluster of </span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>Scleroderma =
puffballs</b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
12px; ">, which are the ones with a </span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>dark purplish =
interior</b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
12px; "> and are probably the exception to the "rule" about all =
puffballs being edible; these puffballs are very light brownish, =
irregular in shape, and larger than most ordinary whitish =
puffballs.&nbsp; Two field guides of mine called them "pigskin poison =
puffball" and "earthball puffball", and their edibilities are listed as =
"poisonous" or "known to cause nausea etc." (approx. quotation). =
&nbsp;</span></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><br></span></div><div><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">On Sept. 3 I =
revisited these puffballs, just north of the warehouse that now houses =
the Wolfville Farm Market), and several of them show </span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>small bored =
tunnels with circular exterior holes</b></span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">, about 1 mm. in =
diameter, vertically down into their interiors.&nbsp; I wonder what made =
these?</span><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
12px; "><br></span></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">Cheers from Jim in =
Wolfville</span></div></div></body></html>=

--Boundary_(ID_u1UTcJj/izzB1CalWbkPYw)--

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