Monday, October 19, 2015

October 9, 2015 Cable Natural History Museum Newsletter- Stinkhorn Egg

By Emily M. Stone 
Naturalist/Education Director 
Cable Natural History Museum

I could hear my roasted root vegetables sizzling in the oven when I saw their car pull into my driveway. Eric and Nanette stepped out, carrying a big basket of food. A whole watermelon, can of spaghetti sauce, two fresh tomatoes-these were things they didn't want to leave in their cabin for the winter or haul home to Madison.
 
One of the items in their basket was a little weirder, though. On a walk through the woods, they'd found a small, dirty white globe on the ground. Figuring it was fungal; they brought it to me for identification, and so we could exclaim over it together. I like this kind of hostess gift at least as much as wine!
 
I'd never seen something quite like this before, and I certainly wasn't ready for the texture when I picked it up. First of all, it was heavy. This was no puffball. The thin outside coating was cool and dry, but a squishy consistency beneath that hinted at something a little more moist. It reminded me of a water balloon filled with pudding. The bottom was slightly flattened, with a limp little stem-like appendage.
 
We enjoyed our dinner with the mystery as our centerpiece, but I didn't get around to slicing it open until the next day at work. A quick photo/question to my favorite mushroom expert produced a reliable identification: common stinkhorn.
 
Stinkhorns are either amazing or disgusting, depending on your perspective. They begin their reproductive life as an "egg," just like the one Eric and Nanette found. A universal veil on the outside protects the developing fruiting body. Slicing through the egg, I found the compact features of a mushroom just waiting to expand.
 
The thin, white, elastic "eggshell" covered a layer of tan-colored jelly. The gleba, as this second layer is known, contains both the spores and the offensive smell that earns stinkhorns their name. Inside the jelly is a C-shaped, dark-brown mass that will become the mushroom cap, and then the pure white, firm-but-hollow stalk in the center. In some countries, the gleba is removed, and the inner mass of the egg is sliced and eaten. (I think my garden-fresh green beans probably tasted better at dinner.)
 
Bursting forth from the egg, stinkhorns mature extremely rapidly. Their growth rate has been measured at ten to fifteen centimeters per hour, and an individual may take anywhere only an hour or two to "hatch." One mathematical model even predicts that the common stinkhorn can exert enough force to emerge through asphalt. By those calculations, three mushrooms emerging together could lift almost 900 pounds.

Once grown, a common stinkhorn bears a dark cap at the top of a white stalk. The cap is covered with the slime at first, but as that wears off, a morel-like texture and yellowish color emerge. Stinkhorns can be quite phallic, and the scientific name "Phallus impudicus" means shameless or immodest. In the Victorian era, embarrassed citizens (including Charles Darwin's granddaughter) would collect and destroy stinkhorns each morning so as to protect the purity of any nearby maids.
 
Even more offensive than the shape of a stinkhorn is its smell. Once mature, the gelatinous gleba on the outside of the cap produces a strong odor of carrion that can be smelled from a fair distance away. This attracts flies, beetles, and other insects. In Austria, blow-flies even feed on the slime. When the insects fly off, spore-filled goop sticks to their legs and they become agents of mushroom dispersal. While disgusting, this is a more advanced method of spore dispersal than waiting for a gentle breeze.
 
Around the world, stinkhorns come in an amazing variety of shapes and colors. From red stars to hot pink whiffle balls, and white bridal veils, they erupt from their eggs in fountains of color and stench. As saprophytic mushrooms that decompose wood, stinkhorns are an important as well as interesting part of the forest...but perhaps, not an important part of dinner.
 
For over 45 years, the Cable Natural History Museum has served to connect you to the Northwoods. Come visit us in Cable, WI! Our new exhibit: "Lake Alive!" opened May 1, 2015, and will remain open until March 2016.
 
Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Discover us on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturalconnections.blogspot.com.
  
I would love to hear your comments, questions, and ideas about this article!
  
 emily@cablemuseum.org
       
Sliced open, a stinkhorn egg reveals the compact form of a developing mushroom. Photo by Emily Stone

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook/Trego Column, October 8, 2015

Good morning. Wow! I know it isn't even really that cold out there, mid 50's to low 60's is not cold in the big picture. But man it feels very cold when you first go out your door and the cold air hits you in your face! Wow! I will try and stay positive.... it is refreshing, exhilarating! But I am just going to say it I LOVE fall...but dread winter. So I will enjoy and cherish the leaves that have turned.I will talk to the birds that continue to fly over the house on there way to destination unknown. I was happy to have some cranes come and visit with me in my pasture this year. Sure hope they come back as they are awesome!

We had an awesome writers weekend hosted by Trish and Carol at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College this last weekend. Lots of us rediscovered our inner voice and found that our stories did still flow out of us if we took the time to stop moving long enough to actually listen and write them down. It was great to meet Ryan Winn who is a Professor at the College of Menominee Nation. Some of you might know him from helping write plays about and with various Indian Nations. Some might know him for his writings in the Tribal College Journal. A HUGE thank you goes out to the Oneida Nation Arts Program that helped make this possible. More info can be found at www.oneidanationsart.org or at www.menominee.edu or atwww.tcjstudent.org.

On Saturday October 10, 2015 Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust will have their annual meeting from 10-12 PM at the Sherman and Ruth Weiss Library. Folks will enjoy a walk around the Nature trail at the back of the library and are asked to bring a potluck dish to pass. The Library is located at 10788 State Hwy 27/77 in Hayward. More information or an online donation can be found at www.couderaywaters.org

October 26-29, 2015 Food Sovereignty Summit in Green Bay, WI. Native Communities learning from one another to promote health, wellness and food sovereignty. Classes in Applied Agriculture, Community Outreach, Products to Market. More information can be found on their website at www.firstnations.org/summit
A happy birthday goes out to all the folks with September birthdays!  If you are having a birthday this month remember you are special! Have a wonderful birthday! Enjoy the coming year as you are only this age once! Hugs! We love you!

Happy Birthday goes to all those that were born in October! You have an awesome month with all the changes that go on in fall, Plus Halloween!Hugs! Happy birthdays go out to Bob Davis on the 2nd, Dena Lampert on the 9th, Pat Hartfiel on the 16th, Michelle Voss on the 31st.  Remember you are special and we love you! 

If you would like to get information on LCO Extension classes please give Amber Marlow a call at 715-634-4790 x 156. Also ou can find them on Facebook at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College Extension.

Put it on your calendar:
  

I know that there HAS to be some events going on out there! Please let me know!

Please remember that I would like any information from all of you of what is going on! This is your column ! Any garage sales, church functions, raffles etc? Let me know- thank you!

Have a friend or family member that would be interested in the column? Maybe they live out of town? They can access the column on my blog on Thursdays, at www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com .
 

Monday, October 5, 2015

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook/Trego Column October 1,2015

Good morning. Did everyone get to see the lunar eclipse last night? It was very cool to see. Can you believe October is right around the corner? Is everyone canning, drying a lot of food? If anyone has extra squash or apples please let me.

Art Market Charac 63 is hosting a Watercolor with Acrylic Outline painting class taught by Trudy Tyson on October 7th, 2015 from 10-noon. All supplies provided for the class. Please call 715-798-3363 to pre-register and per- pay for class. Art Market is located on 42790 Hwy 63, Cable,www.chablehaywardarts.org

October 26-29, 2015 Food Sovereignty Summit in Green Bay, WI. Native Communities learning from one another to promote health, wellness and food sovereignty. Classes in Applied Agriculture, Community Outreach, Products to Market. More information can be found on their website at www.firstnations.org/summit
A happy birthday goes out to all the folks with September birthdays!  If you are having a birthday this month remember you are special! Have a wonderful birthday! Enjoy the coming year as you are only this age once! Hugs! We love you!

Over at Wembendangig- The Community Sewing Center, Mary does alterations, patches etc. If you are looking for a class to learn how to sew something let Mary know so she can get it on the calendar. Contact the shop at 715-699-1379.

If you would like to get information on LCO Extension classes please give Amber Marlow a call at 715-634-4790 x 156. Also ou can find them on Facebook at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College Extension.

Put it on your calendar:
  

I know that there HAS to be some events going on out there! Please let me know!

Please remember that I would like any information from all of you of what is going on! This is your column ! Any garage sales, church functions, raffles etc? Let me know- thank you!

Have a friend or family member that would be interested in the column? Maybe they live out of town? They can access the column on my blog on Thursdays, at www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com .