About the Plants and Fungis
Round stemmed false foxglove, Agalinis gattingeri
Although seeding of savanna indicator species is often recommended to restore an oak savanna we did no seeding at Timberhill. Instead we chose to restore the flora from the seedbank and plants suppressed by lack of sunlight and fire.The Timberhill plant list (see plant list PDF) now includes over 450 species of vascular plants. Highly conservative species such as round stemmed false foxglove (Agalinis gattingeri), yellow false foxglove (Aureolaria grandiflora), and yellow lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium pubescens) have returned in abundance.These plants all have high coefficients of conservatism, a measure of a plant’s fidelity to habitat. The more specific it’s requirements, the higher the number assigned to that plant. Each year we are surprised by the appearance of a plant new to the list.
Boletus dupainii
Even more surprising has been the diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi that have appeared. Of particular interest are the boletes, mushrooms with pores instead of gills. As of 2009 over twenty bolete species have been collected at Timberhill. Gastroboletus turbinatus, a bolete, which supposedly fruits only in association with conifers is now common under Timberhill white oaks.Timberhill is the only U.S. site where a rare red-pored bolete,Boletus dupainii, is known to regularly fruit. (link to Both article) It has only been collected one time from one other site in the U.S. It was first collected here in one location in July, 2000. Since then it has spread throughout our east woodlands. In 2009 we collected 20 specimens from five widely separate locations.
Yellow lady