Cinnabar Polypore Fungus

A couple of weeks back I found myself in Dundas and came upon an interesting fungus that stuck out among the dead leaves and decomposing logs.  This orange-red shelf fungus is known as Cinnabar Polypore (Pycnoporus cinnabarinus).  It is frequently found growing on Beech, Birch and in this case, Black Cherry.

 

On my way home I stopped by a woodland site near Cambridge to check on Waterloo Region's only population of Canada Milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis).  There are 4 plants in an area about the size of a picnic blanket.  Through prescribed burns and removal of European Buckthorn we are hoping to enhance the habitat for this species as well as other local and provincial rarities known (both presently and historically) from the site.  It's quite interesting to see this species out of dormancy before any of our spring ephemerals!  Alas, it currently sits under about 15cm of snow.