Tag Archives: Allotropa virgata

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I was so excited to find this group of Sugarsticks. They are growing on a neighbor's property under a huckleberry bush.

The large one is the largest I've ever seen and there are seven smaller ones emerging. They obtain sugar and other nutrients from underground fungus, which I believe it the Matsutake fungus. Every winter, Matsies emerge in this area.

There is a nice fog bank over the Pacific Ocean, but it's sunny in Anchor Bay. We had some hot air move in Saturday afternoon, and the temperature at our property went from 75 to 92 degrees in a matter of minutes. Yikes! It's not so hot today, thank goodness.

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Last year Mel Smith found three rare Groundcones on a neighboring property. I've been looking ever since to see if there might be a few on Rick's and my land. A few days ago, I was rewarded. I present to you this rare sighting of Groundcones, Kopsiopsis hookeri.

There is a lot of sandstone where we live, and these parasitic plants are growing in the sandy soil.

Our neighbor's property shares several other sightings with our land - matsutake mushrooms in the winter, Sugarstick, another unusual parasitic plant, and mixed forest and shrubs, which include manzanita, huckleberry, Bishop pines, Tan-oak, Redwoods, Douglas Fir, and more. Sugarsticks, Allotropa virgata, are just barely peeking through the forest duff. Here is a photo from a previous year of these beautiful plants.

There is something magical going on underneath our feet!

It's a beautiful spring day on the Mendonoma Coast. The wind has died down, and the clouds are gone. There is some much-needed rain coming in late this weekend. Fingers crossed!

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There are several rare plants that bloom at our place in Anchor Bay. One of them is Gnome Plants, Hemitomes congestum. They are growing between a wooden step we put in some years ago when we put in a hiking trail.

On the left there are two small ones just peeking up. We have to be careful where we walk to protect these unusual plants. They extract nutrients from decaying matter. We have Allotropa virgata, Sugarsticks, close by, which indicates there is a LOT going in in this area. Sugarsticks need a fungus to thrive and this is where we find Matsutakes in the winter. Mel Smith recently photographed the first emerging Sugarstick.

Thanks to Mel for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Sunny and windy today - don't bother to fuss with you hair if you are on the coast today!

Spring doesn't know...

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Our property in Anchor Bay has sandy soil. Matsutake mushrooms thrive in it and so do two very interesting and rare plants. The first is Gnome Plant, Hemitomes congestum. In years past, we have had a handful of them appear. This year we have a village of them! Gnome plants have no stem or leaf, and they produce no chlorophyll. They get their nutrients from decayed matter

Sugarstick, Allotropa virgata, is quite rare. Here are two emerging. On the far right are stalks of Sugarstick that bloomed two years ago. Amazing that after two winters worth of storms that the stalks are still standing. These plants also produce no cholrophyll. They get their nutrients from fungus.

The Gnome Plants and Sugarsticks are growing in the same area. And, yes, we find Matsutakes in the same area.

It will be fun to show you how these Sugarsticks evolve.

We are having a beautiful sun-splashed day today. Happy Mother's Day to all women who make an impact on children's lives.