Varnish? I’m there! Actually, I wouldn’t mind being there. That’s a beautiful scene. I get the ‘shelf’ in the name, but why ‘varnish’? Is it shiny? It looks as though it might be.
What an interesting name, “metalmark,” I haven’t seen one, I see it’s very rare, but very handsome, hope I run across it sometime. Maybe if I play “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” on my headphones it will appear!
The name “metalmark” refers to a group of butterflies. We have a few species in Texas that aren’t rare, which is why I was aware of them—and I didn’t even have to play “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
I think that type of mushroom only grows on hemlock logs. It must’ve just struck the mycologists (I just looked that up = people who study fungus) that the topside looks like someone varnished it. I don’t see too many gas stations with that emblem, but it looks like the Shell Oil emblem, although that’s got more yellow than red on it.
UpState & Away - - - - Waterlooseneca.com 
Oh.. so beautiful there Robert!
Thank you, Liz, it’s a really nice park, one of my favorites.
Varnish? I’m there! Actually, I wouldn’t mind being there. That’s a beautiful scene. I get the ‘shelf’ in the name, but why ‘varnish’? Is it shiny? It looks as though it might be.
I hadn’t thought of that connection! Yes, kind of a peculiar name, but I think that’s why, because the top side is always kind of shiny.
Some butterflies look like that fungus.
Oh, that’s interesting, you see a lot more butterflies than I do, so there’s one with that dark red color?
The resemblance isn’t perfect, but the fungus reminded me of metalmark butterflies:
https://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly/species/60-swamp-metalmark
What an interesting name, “metalmark,” I haven’t seen one, I see it’s very rare, but very handsome, hope I run across it sometime. Maybe if I play “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” on my headphones it will appear!
The name “metalmark” refers to a group of butterflies. We have a few species in Texas that aren’t rare, which is why I was aware of them—and I didn’t even have to play “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
Amazing! I have never seen a fungus ( mushroom) that looked so interesting. And I second the previous comment of “why varnish”?
I think that type of mushroom only grows on hemlock logs. It must’ve just struck the mycologists (I just looked that up = people who study fungus) that the topside looks like someone varnished it. I don’t see too many gas stations with that emblem, but it looks like the Shell Oil emblem, although that’s got more yellow than red on it.