mayabamber's Journal

The Bicoloured Bracket is a fungi often found growing on the bark of trees. These fungi are often called shelf fungi due to their shelf like appearance on the sides of trees. A key association made with this fungi is its negative impact on timber value due to their wood-harming properties. Bicoloured Bracket fungi have many other interesting properties apart from their role in damaging living wood, such as their hard structure and their inedibility to humans.

One of the observations I made while photographing plant life on Mount Royal was of a Green Ash Tree (Fraxinus Pennsylvanica; Genus Fraxinus). I identified this species using a combination of iNaturalist observations and OneZoom. A specific adaptation of the Green Ash Tree is its particularly broad leaves. The Ash trees broad leaves aid in the process of photosynthesis by allowing the leaf to capture more sunlight to convert to chlorophyll. An adaptation that all my observations have in common is possessing a waxy cuticle. Having a waxy cuticle is important for preventing water loss, aiding in photosynthesis by protecting the photosynthesizing cells, and protecting against harsh temperature conditions. Having a waxy cuticle is a common adaptation present in many leafy plants.