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Wed, 21 Oct 2020 13:55:35 -0400 |
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Hi all
Many of us in the NE of the USA have noticed a rank odor when goldenrod is being gathered. Some liken it to smelly socks. As a matter of fact, since Japanese knotweed took over in this area, I haven't smelled that stink. Knotweed nectar smells good, like butterscotch. But I just found this in an old "Gleanings." (1915)
THE ODOR OF GOLDENROD NECTAR.
While the bees are bringing in nectar from the goldenrod, the whole apiary is filled with a disagreeable sour smell which on a calm evening, may sometimes be noticed noticed at a distance of a hundred feet. The odor of goldenrod nectar has been likened to that of decaying carrion, but this is a mistake. When such an odor is present it is usually caused by one or more stink-horn fungi. One autumn I noticed in my beeyard a strong carrion-like odor, and careful search soon revealed several of these fungi growing near an apple-tree. At least a dozen flies were busily feeding on the semi-liquid mass. Where there is decaying organic matter the stink-horn fungus frequently spring up in the fall. They exhale a fetid scent. and often mislead the beekeeper into the belief that this odor comes from the hives. The stem is hollow, and the cap-like top deliquesces into a sticky, syrupy mass which is very attractive to carrion-flies. They devour great numbers of the spores, which produce a kind of diarrhea, and pass through them unharmed. Certain fungi thus, like flowers, make use of insects to distribute their spores. The illustration shows two specimens of this fungus (Phallus impudicus).
PLB
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