OSU Herbarium and Marys Peak

   August 16^th – Our team had the privilege of getting a tour of the Oregon State University herbarium from Professor Aaron Liston. OSU’s herbarium is comprised of what were once three independent collections: one from Eugene which housed many specimens collected by pioneer botanists, a collection created by botanist Martin Peck which was formerly housed at Willemette University in Salem OR, and finally the collections made by students and faculty at OSU.

   The complete herbarium is composed of an estimated 500,000 specimens, including samples of lichens and algae!

Aaron Liston and our group in the herbarium

Looking at herbarium samples.

Pine cones in storage

Mikhail checking out the lichen section

Herbarium samples

Herbarium sample

herbarium sample

   After our tour of the OSU herbarium, we set out with Brad StClair (Forest Service Geneticist) to Marys Peak where we met up with a group of members of the Marys Peak Alliance. This group of dedicated volunteers (Phil Hays, Dave Eckert, Barry Wulff, and Steve Carpenter) formed around 2012 in order to work with the forest service to help preserve the biological diversity of the area. They are professionals at leading tours brimming with information about the history of the area, the flora, and the fungi.

Meeting up at the entrance to Meadow Edge Trail

Phil Hays

Lichens

Mikhail with lichens

Several of the trees had interesting outgrowths that encircle the trunk. Phil mentioned that he and some others think that they could be reactionary growth to weight stress due to snow and ice.

Tiarella

Sapling

Monotropa hypopitys
A saprophyte - does not photosynthesize, instead its nourishment from fungi associated with the roots of nearby trees.

On the trail to the peak.

The view at the top. Photos cannot do it justice.

Pictured: Barry Wulff, Vladimir Shatko, Dave Eckert, Brad StClair, Anna Erst, Gideon Dollarhide, Mikhail Shustov, Phil Hays