Autumn photos

[luzula]

In honor of the first frost a couple of days ago, here are a few autumn photos. Click to see larger versions.


A rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia) leaning out over the Ume river.


This could be part of the foundation for an old bridge, maybe? Complete with graffiti. Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) in the foreground.


A little fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris) that I'm quite fond of.


More rowan.


This is the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, which Wikipedia tells me is spread over the whole world, sitting on a hawkweed flower. The yellow-and-black striped pattern mimics a wasp, although it's quite harmless.


These circles of fungi used to be called "witch's circles" or "elves' circles" in Sweden, and it was believed that they formed where the elves had danced in a circle. The more prosaic explanation is that the mycelium grows outwards and dies off in the middle when it's exhausted its nourishment. Fungi are not my strong suit, so I can't tell you the species.


This is hard to do justice in a photo. It's the dried-up and empty seedpods of fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), all curved and elegant.

Comments

[brigantine]

Fairy rings! \o/ When I was a kid we were warned that if we should find mushrooms growing together, check for a circle, and then try not to step into it - or at least don't knock over the mushrooms - so that we didn't annoy the fairies. Hee.

[luzula]

Really? Cool. That belief seems to be common to several countries, then.

Aww, that's a cute Totoro icon.

[luzula]

Yes, it is a beautiful time of year! I kind of want to hold on to it, because I know it'll be dark and cold soon.

[vsee.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks for sharing. I just love autumn so much.

[luzula]

Glad you enjoyed them!

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

Fireweed is the ultimate holarctic plant, isn't it? It's that elegant scribble of brown and silver above 200ft here, while down at the water's edge there's still a few lingering top blossoms, a scattering of magenta stars across the burn.

Julia, missing the days when fall markets were full of wild fireweed honey.

[luzula]

It's that elegant scribble of brown and silver above 200ft here, while down at the water's edge there's still a few lingering top blossoms, a scattering of magenta stars across the burn.

Oh, that's lovely bit of description. And yes, it does appear to grow almost everywhere.

[mergatrude.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely photos. Thank you.

[luzula]

Glad you enjoyed them. : )