The Munch

How do you keep finding these!? Supercool.

Aye, these are supercool. Ive seen the carnivorous sundews in the UP of michigan too.

This is indeed the common field horsetail. However, because it reproduces by spore does not classify it as a fungus/mushroom. Its green stalks use photosynthesis for food and the stems contain mineral silica from the ground, not chitin like fungus'. Hence the nickname "Scouring rushes". They are used for scrubbing pans and sanding fine musical instruments, still. These plants are 300 million years in the making. They were almost 50 feet tall. The carboniferous period i believe. Before mammals, birds, or even flowering plants. They are more closely classified as a "moss".

These are the galls left behind from gnat eggs. The gnats are long gone by the time these appear. These tags are the plants reaction to the insects using their leaves to hold their eggs.

We used to have one of these where we grew up in northern wisconsin. The first time we had seen it, waiting for the schoolbus, we were terrified. They are huge. But it veered away from us while we all just stared in disbelief. Truly amazing creature. Like a javelin with wings. Every year i see it or its family, its like seeing a childhood friend.

Clover is a high nitrogen, low to ground herbacious plant and is often planted in crop rotation techniques to replenish nitrogen to depleted soils.