Iowa's Plants Series - Iowa's Mushrooms and Nonflowering Plants

Iowa Association of Naturalists

Iowa's Plants

Iowa's Mushrooms andNonflowering Plants

1Iowa's Mushrooms and Nonflowering Plants

The Iowa Association of Naturalists (IAN) is a nonprofitorganization of people interested in promoting the development ofskills and education within the art of interpreting the natural andcultural environment. IAN was founded in 1978 and may be contactedby writing the Conservation Education Center, RR 1, Box 53, GuthrieCenter, IA 50115.

Editorial BoardText: Dan CohenIllustrations: Mark MüllerLayout and Design: MJC Associates, Ankeny, IowaPublished by: Iowa Association of Naturalists

Iowa Association of Naturalists

Iowa's Plants Booklet Series

Plants are a beautiful and important part of the nature in Iowa. To assist educators inteaching their students about the common plants of Iowa, the Iowa Association of Naturalistshas created a series of booklets which offer a basic, understandable overview of Iowa's plants,their ecology, and their benefits and dangers to people. The seven booklets in this seriesinclude:

Iowa's Spring Wildflowers (IAN-301)Iowa's Summer and Fall Wildflowers (IAN-302)Benefits and Dangers of Iowa Plants (IAN-303)Iowa's Trees (IAN-304)Seeds, Nuts, and Fruits of Iowa Plants (IAN-305)Iowa's Mushrooms and Nonflowering Plants (IAN-306)Iowa's Shrubs and Vines (IAN-307)

For ordering information about these and other IAN publications, please see the backcover of this booklet.

Resource EnhancementAnd Protection

Education Board

Review CommitteeCele Burnett, Environmental Education Coordinator, Story County Conservation Board

Dan Cohen, Naturalist, Buchanan County Conservation BoardJean Eells, Environmental Education Coordinator, Hamilton County Conservation Board

Judy Levings, State 4-H Youth Development Specialist, Iowa State UniversityStacey Snyder Newbrough, Freelance Naturalist and Librarian, Pocahontas, IA

Jim Pease, Extension Wildlife Specialist, Iowa State UniversityDiane Pixler, Naturalist, Marshall County Conservation Board

The Iowa Plants booklet series ispublished by the Iowa Association ofNaturalists with grants from the REAPConservation Education Board and theIowa Conservation Education Council(ICEC), 1994.

2 Iowa Association of Naturalists

Most plants have life cycles that include flower-ing, pollination, and producing seeds, but a fewtypes of plants have a different way of life. Theseplants do not flower and make seeds. Instead theymay produce seed-like spores or reproduce asexu-ally. A wide variety of fungi, ferns, horsetails,mosses, algae, lichens, and liverworts do not produceflowers or seeds. They play a valuable part in thenature of Iowa.

The fungi include mushrooms and are a maincomponent of lichens. They lack the green pigment,chlorophyll, which is used by green plants to convertsunlight into food. Fungi reproduce by means ofspores and never produce flowers or seeds. Theyalso lack “true” stems and leaves and do not have avascular system like that of true plants. The fungiare such a unique form of life that scientists disagreeas to their classification. Many scientists considerthe fungi as neither plant nor animal.

There are many different types of fungi includingthe molds, mildews, yeasts, rusts, and smuts. While

Iowa's Mushrooms and

Nonflowering Plants

Iowa's NonfloweringPlants

The Fungi


these fungi are very important (penicillin is a productof a mold fungus), this booklet will concentrate onthe fleshy, fruiting fungi known as mushrooms,puffballs, morels, and shelf fungi that are most likelyto be noticed while hiking through an Iowa wood-land, wetland, or grassland.

The fleshy fungi are found in a variety of colors,shapes, sizes, and environments. These fungi in-clude the mushrooms which typically have thecharacteristic cap, stalk, and spore-producing gills.Some mushrooms and other fungi are edible, whileothers may be deadly poisonous if eaten.

The common names of fungi often describe theirshape. The word "toadstool" is a nonscientific termthat means different things to different people. Theword probably originated to describe the stool-likeshape of some types of fungi. Puffballs producetheir spores in a ball-shaped structure. In fall theybecome dry and, when crushed or cracked open,emit a puff of spores. As their names imply, coralfungi resemble the coral that lives in oceans, andcup fungi have a disc-shaped structure lined with

Mushrooms andRelated Fungi

Puffball

Coral fungus

Shelf fungus

Cup fungus

Morel


special spore-producing cells. Included in the cupfungi are the highly sought morels. Morels, alsocalled sponge mushrooms, have a fruiting body withmany grooves and pits that resemble the fabric of asponge. Bracket or shelf fungi grow as a ledge orseries of shelves on dead and living tree trunks,limbs, bark, and sticks.

Mushrooms and related fungi grow scattered orclumped in groups in a variety of habitats. Like allfungi, they obtain their food from dead or living plantmaterial either in or on the soil. They grow on fallenleaves, twigs, logs, and stumps; on the ground, andeven on living roots, burnt wood or dung; and onother fungi. Some of these fungi, such as velvet stemwhich is most often found on elm logs and stumps,have somewhat specific food requirements. Others,like the puffballs, grow on a variety of plant material.

The typical mushroom has several identifyingparts. The rounded “seat” is made up of the fleshycap which has numerous thin, feathery gills on theunderside. Tiny seedlike spores are produced inspecial structures located in the gills. The cap and

gills grow atop a stalk, giving the mush-room an umbrella-like shape.At the base of the stalk is acuplike volva, a remnant ofthe universal veil which onceencompassed the developingmushroom. Residue from theuniversal veil may also befound stuck to the outersurface of the cap. Wherethe cap was once attached tothe stalk, there may be apartial veil that forms a ringaround the stalk.

Some mushrooms maylack one or several of thesestructures. For example, thecommon group of mush-rooms called boletes lacksgills. Instead, boletes have aspongy layer on the capunderside. The spores arereleased from tiny pores inthe spongy tissue.

The cap, gills, spores,volva, universal veil, andpartial veil are useful struc-tures to know when trying toidentify mushrooms. Theillustration shows thesestructures.

Parts of a Mushroom

Cap

Gills

Partial Veil

Stalk

Volva


The Mushroom Life Cycle Unlike flowering plants, mushrooms do not pro-duce seeds. Instead, they produce many tiny dust-like spores that are usually transported by the wind.The spores germinate when they land in a place withsufficient moisture and quickly develop into a massof threadlike strands called hyphae. The nonrepro-ductive hyphae are made up of many filamentswhich absorb food and moisture and may grow forseveral years before fruiting occurs.

A young mushroom develops inside an egg-shaped ball of hyphae called the universal veil. Asthe mushroom grows, it breaks out of the universalveil. In some mushrooms, a partial veil attaches thecap to the mushroom stalk. As the mushroomgrows, the cap expands and breaks free from thepartial veil. A ring of tissue is often left on the stalk.

In most mushrooms, spores begin to develop fromspecialized cells located on the gills. As the sporesmature, they sometimes change color. Maturespores are often tinted brown but may also be white,pink, rust, yellow, purple, or black. When the sporesare mature, they are flung into the air and driftslowly to the ground or onto living or dead plantswhere they germinate and continue the mushroomlife cycle.

Basidiareleasingspores

Germinating spore onmoist ground

Spores

"Button"ball ofhyphae

Growingbutton

Universalveil

CapAdult mushroom Adult mushroom


Fungi that feed on dead animal and plant mate-rial are responsible for much of the natural decom-position needed to cycle nutrients in natural commu-nities. They play an important role in recyclingnutrients in nature.

In human communities fungi are equally impor-tant. Food and fabrics are prone to disintegration byfungal attacks, and fungi are responsible for themajority of plant and crop diseases. However, fungialso perform many useful functions. Processes thatinvolve fermentation such as the production of

bread, beer, wines, cocoa, and cheese use someof the smaller types of fungi. And fungi

are used to produce vitamins andantibiotics, most notably

penicillin.

Of all the ways fungi impact people, the one thatattracts most attention is their edibility. Since an-cient times, mushrooms have been used for food.Edible mushrooms have a variety of flavors andprovide more protein than green vegetables. Theyare also high in carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins.Puffballs, morels, chanterelles, shaggy mane, andoyster mushrooms are edible when correctly identi-fied and properly prepared.

The Importance of Fungi


The danger with collecting and eating wild mush-rooms is that several species are poisonous. It is amyth and a dangerous misconception that any fun-gus that grows on wood is safe to eat. A wide varietyof mushrooms may be poisonous if eaten. Membersof the genus Amanita are especially deadly. Becauseidentification of mushrooms is often difficult andbecause some edible species closely resemble somepoisonous species, special care must be taken beforeeating any wild-growing mushroom. The followingare important rules for collecting mushrooms:

1. Use a good mushroom book and identify mushrooms verycarefully. Know the mushrooms you eat and how to preparethem.

2. Do not eat any mushroom that you have not identified as togenus and species. If you have any doubt, do not eat it.Members of the genus Amanita are especially poisonous.

3. When eating a mushroom species new to you, eat only asmall amount.

4. The poisonous effects of some mushrooms can vary. Do noteat too much. Some mushrooms may be eaten in smallquantities, but large quantities may be deadly.

5. Consider possible allergic reactions. In these cases, mush-rooms may sensitize a person and the next meal will resultin serious problems.

Rules for Collecting Mushrooms


The following are examples of some mushroomsand other fungi that can be found in Iowa wood-lands, wetlands, and grasslands. These examplesare not meant to be a guide for identifying mush-rooms for consumption. For a more detailed de-scription or if you intend to eat any wild mushrooms,consult a mushroom book. The pamphlet “Mush-rooms and Other Related Fungi” by Tiffany, Knaphusand Nyvall, will further help in identifying ediblemushrooms. This pamphlet is available through yourcounty’s ISU Extension Office.

Several types of Iowa mushrooms have especiallylong fruiting seasons. The examples below are fungithat develop in spring and persist into fall or evenwinter.

Common ink cap (Coprinus atramentarius) isfound growing at the base of tree stumps, usually

in open areas. It has a whitish gray bell-shapedcap with fine grooves extending toward the cap

margin. The cap is approximately two tothree inches wide growing on a three- to six-inch stem. Ink caps get their name fromtheir gills which become black and slimy asthey pass maturity. This mushroom is ediblewhen the gills are still white, except whenconsumed with alcohol. Although individualink caps are short-lived, as a group theypersist from April through September.

Velvet stem (Flammulina velutipes) is namedfor its velvety stems. The slimy cap is orange-brown and from one to two inches in diameter.

On the inner surface of thecap are broad gills inwhich the white sporesare produced. Velvetstem is most common onelm trees and stumps.It persists into winterand is edible. A culti-vated variety, called“Eno-take,” looks verydifferent.

The Mushroomsof Iowa

Mushrooms Found Throughout

the Year (Spring through Fall)

Common Ink Cap

Velvet Stem


Fairy ring champignon (Marasmius oreades) isone of several mushrooms that forms circles, calledfairy rings, that may persist for many years. Fairyring champignon is one of the last of the “fairy ring”mushrooms to emerge. The pale brown cap may beless than an inch to two inches wide and has a wavymargin. Broad white gills are found in the cap’sunder surface. Fairy ring champignon often grows inlawns where its perennial nature may make it un-popular. It is edible, but it should not be confusedwith the poisonous, white Clitocybe which sometimesgrows among the fairy rings. Other types of mush-rooms, such as the poisonous green-spotted lepiota,may also grow as fairy rings.

Few mushrooms reach their peak in early spring,but spring mushrooms include some of the mostprized edible species. Mushroom collectors searchthe woods for the tasty members of the morel family,including morels and thimble caps. These mush-rooms should not be confused with the false morelswhich, in instances, have been reported as poison-ous and even fatal if eaten.

Morels (Morchella spp.) include several species ofedible fungi. The caps are convoluted with many pitsand ridges. They are often cone-shaped with yellow-ish brown or white pits and grayish ridges. Depend-ing on the species, morels may be two to six inchestall. Do not confuse edible morels with poisonousfalse morels. False morels also have a convolutedcap, but the ridges are more lobed and are reddish-brown in color.

False morels (Gyromitra esculenta)grow in the same type of woodland habi-tat as true morels. They have a brain-like reddish brown convoluted cap thatmay be one to more than three incheswide. The white stalk is short andstumpy. False morels can be deadly ifeaten raw and may still be poisonouswhen cooked. Sometimes the poison hasa delayed effect.

Fairy RingChampignon

FalseMorels

Fungi of Early Spring

(April and May)

Morels


Late summer and fall are peak times for mush-rooms in Iowa. The large variety of mushrooms inlate summer and fall makes identification of ediblemushrooms more difficult. The presence of membersof the genus Amanita makes correct identification ofedible mushrooms crucial.

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is ashort-stalked edible mushroom with irregularwavy-edged caps. The caps are somewhat fan-shaped and become more ruffled with age. Gillsare located on the underside of the cap. Colorsof oyster mushrooms vary from white to tan.Oyster mushrooms are found throughout the

summer and fall months. They are especiallycommon on fallen elm logs and stumps.

Sulphur mushrooms (Polyporus sulphureus) arebright yellow or orange-yellow fungi that form shelf-like ledges on living and dead wood. They lack gills,with spores being produced in tubular pores similarto the boletes. Some people describe the flavor ofsulphur mushrooms, especially young mushrooms,as delicious and chicken-flavored, while others havereported allergic reactions to these common fungi.

Giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea) is the largest ofthe puffballs, growing to a diameter of eight to 20inches. Like all puffballs, they produce a cloud ofspores when the mature mushroom is squished or

cracked open. Young puffballshave white flesh that is edible,

but as they mature, theflesh becomes yellow

and eventually be-comes a dark mass

of spores. Ediblepuffballs always

have a thinouter coveringthat distin-guishes themfrom somepoisonousmushroomsthat otherwisemay resemble

puffballs. Puff-balls are most

common in wood-lands where they

grow on the ground oron stumps and logs

from August to October.

Fungi of the Summer and Fall

(June through October)

OysterMushroom

SulphurMushrooms

GiantPuffball


Amanita is a genus that contains several speciesof deadly poisonous mushrooms. The mostcommon Iowa species is white and growsscattered in Iowa woodlands, especially be-neath oak trees. Other species have an olive-

yellow cap. It is very important to identify andavoid eating these mushrooms. The following are

general characteristics of the Amanita that shouldbe remembered:

1. The gills do not attach to the stem and do notproduce white spores.

2. The ring, that is a vestige of the partial veil,mayor may not be present (see page 4).

3. There is distinct volva at the base of the stem, orburied, that is a vestige of the universal veil (seepage 4).

4. Some species are extremely poisonous, even insmall amounts. Wash hands after picking.

In nature, plants and animals often enter intobeneficial relationships. Lichens are the result of amutually beneficial and interdependent relationshipbetween fungi and algae. They are a combination ofa green or blue-green alga and a fungus, most com-monly a sac fungus. Together, the alga and funguspartnership forms a distinct form of life known as a

lichen. Lichens lack leaves, stems, androots. They often have by bright colors

of red, orange, and yellow or gray andbrown which add color to Iowa

woodlands and wetlands.The hypha of the fungal

component of a lichen attachesand grows on a variety ofsurfaces, from wet wood or

plant material in the soil to dryrock. This fungal component

provides the necessary environmentfor the growth of the alga. Usually there is

only one algal species in a lichen, but in somecases there may be more than one. The alga mayform a layer just below the surface of the fungus, orit may be scattered throughout the fungus. In eitherarrangement, the alga is able to use photosynthesisto obtain food from sunlight. The formation of thelichen provides a means for the fungus to obtain thecarbohydrates it needs for growth.

Amanita

Lichens

Lichens


In addition to lichens, mushrooms, and otherfungi, there are some "true plants" that do not pro-duce flowers or seeds. Along a typical woodland trailyou may encounter several types of ferns. In someplaces, mosses carpet the ground or cover rocks andlogs. Plastered to the tree bark and on rocks, fallensticks, and limbs are liverworts. A patch of horse-tails, also called scouring rushes or equisetum, mayblock your path as you walk toward a creek. Rocksand logs in and along the creek will likely be coveredwith a slippery coat of algae.

Although ferns, mosses, horsetails, algae, andliverworts do not produce flowers and seeds, they docontain the green pigment chlorophyll and, like othergreen plants, are able to produce food from sunlight.

Ferns are nonflowering plants that have roots,underground stems called rhizoids, and leaves ca-pable of photosynthesis. The leaves often consist ofmany leaflets, called pinnae, and subleaflets, calledpinnules. Ferns reproduce by means of spores thatare borne in special structures on the leaves. Thesestructures, called sori, at first appear as numerousrusty spots on the underside of the leaves. Somesori are “naked,” while others develop a protectivecovering called an indusium. Each sorus consists ofclusters of tiny capsules called sporangia whichcontain the spores. As many as 64 spores can beproduced by each sporangium, and a single fernplant may produce millions of spores.

When mature fern sporangia become dry, theybreak open and fling their spores into the air. Eachspore that lands in a suitable moist environment hasthe potential of producing a new fern plant. A thingreen prothallus or gametophyte, shaped somewhatlike a heart and smaller than a dime, is formed fromthe germinating spore and eventually produces boththe male and female sex organs. You can sometimesfind the tiny prothallus at the base of young sporo-phytes, usually along stream banks. The fertilizedembryo gives rise to a leafy fern plant. The prothallus“feeds” the developing fern until the leaves and rootsystem become established. The emerging fern leafis tightly coiled. Because it resembles the end of afiddle, it is commonly called a fiddlehead.

Other NonfloweringPlants

Ferns


Although ferns grow in a variety of habitats inIowa, most ferns grow in moist areas and are mostcommon in shady woodland or wetland conditions.The largest, and one of the most common ferns ineastern Iowa, is the interrupted fern (Osmundaclaytoniana). The following are a few examples offerns found throughout Iowa. For a more completedescription of ferns, refer to a field guide.

Lady fern (Athyrium felix-femina) is perhaps themost common fern in Iowa. It occurs in any moistenvironment. The lady fern is a large plant withcircular clusters of frilly leaves that may be 30inches long and ten inches wide. Each leaf hasapproximately two dozen pinnae. And each pinnamay have two dozen deeply lobed and toothed pin-nules. The sori are short and may be horseshoe-shaped with a thick, hairy indusium.

Sporesreleased

SporangiaSori

Spores growinginto prothallus

Adult Fern(mature

sporophyte)

Prothallus

Fiddlehead

Youngsporophyte

Lady Fern


Maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) is mostcommon along rocky outcrops in moist shadysoil. The leaves may be more than a foot longand up to ten inches wide. Each leaf has fiveor six pinnae that contain many pinnules. Thepinnules are variable but somewhat fan-shapedand oblong. The fiddleheads are reddish. Sorihave a thin indusium which may be white or

yellowish green.

Sensitive fern (Onocleasensibilis) has an atypical fernappearance. The broadtriangle-shaped leaves areprominent and may be afoot tall. The sori are con-tained in dark brownbeadlike clusters of fertilepinnae. Sensitive ferns maygrow in full sun or shade inboth moist woodland andgrassland areas.

Plants in the genus Equisetum, commonly calledhorsetails, scouring rushes, snake weed, or jointgrass, are plants with jointed hollow stems that havedeep, long ridges. Some species, such as Equisetumarvense, have branched stems. Individual plants ina clump of Equisetum are connected undergroundby a network of rhizomes. Silica, imbedded in thestem tissue, gives the plant a gritty texture. Thecommon name "scouring rush" refers to the Ameri-can Indian and pioneer use of the gritty stems toscour pots and pans. Because the scalelike leavesare nonfunctional, horsetails depend on their rigidgreen stems to perform photosynthesis for the plant.

Horsetails reproduce by means of spores that areproduced in a terminal cone, or strobilus, atopmature stems. When the mature strobilus becomesdry, the spores are released into the air. Spores thatland in a suitable environment germinate in a simi-lar manner as the ferns. Horsetails are most fre-quently found in fens, wet woodlands, or roadsideditches. They grow in clumps, with members ofsome species growing to a height of four feet.

MaidenhairFern

SensitiveFern

Horsetails

Horsetails


Mosses

StarMoss

Liverworts

Liverworts

Mosses are small plants that have leaves andstems. They are anchored to the ground by a net-work of underground rhizomes. Mosses are shortplants, usually less than two inches high, that repro-duce by means of spores. When spores land in asuitable moist environment, they develop intobranched green filaments called protonemae. Nu-merous buds develop on each protonema and eachtiny bud may develop into one leafy moss plant. Asingle protonema can produce hundreds of buds andeventually cover several square inches of substrate.Many moss plants tend to clump together to form athick mossy carpet.

Mature moss plants reproduce either sexually orasexually. Male and female gametes are located on

stalked structures called antheridia andarchegonia, respectively. Because thesperm must “swim” to the archegonia toreach the eggs, moisture is necessary forreproduction. Fertilized eggs quicklydevelop in spore-producing sporophytesthat consists of a stalk and a capsule.

Spores are released when the cap becomes dry andfalls off the capsule.

Mosses grow in a variety of habitats but favorshady, moist environments. They are, therefore,most common on the north and east sides of trees,rock outcrops, hills, and stream banks. Where theygrow, mosses absorb water and hold soil in place.The leafy moss plants act like a sponge, able to soakup twice their weight in water.

In damp shady woodlands growing on rocks,wood, or damp ground is a group of plants known asliverworts. These plants, which are closely related tothe mosses, look like papery or leafy green scales or

lobes with reproductive stalks. Underneath theleafy surface are numerous rhizoids that attachthe plant to its habitat surface. Liverwortsphotosynthesize their food, absorbing the neces-sary water, carbon dioxide, and nutrientsthrough their papery surface. They have specificmoisture and temperature requirements andremain dormant until conditions become suitablefor their growth.

Liverworts reproduce in a manner similar tothe mosses. They produce antheridia and arche-gonia that lead to the development of a sporo-phyte capsule and the release of spores. Inaddition to this form of sexual reproduction, acommon liverwort, called Marchantia, producesnumerous disc-shaped gemmae which are pro-duced on cup-shaped structures. When de-tached, the gemmae grow into new plants.


Algae are a group of plants ranging in color andsize from a single cell to ocean plants that are morethan a hundred feet long. Freshwater green algaethat live in Iowa are small plants that require mois-ture and sunlight. They are the plants that often givestreams and ponds a greenish tint, the slippery oozethat covers rocks, and the green specks that colortree bark, rotting wood, and fence posts.

Unlike mosses, green algae have no leaves, stems,or rhizoids. Rather, they form tiny delicate strandsor exist as single cells of various shapes. Green algaecontain the green pigment chlorophyll which is nec-

essary to convert sunlight, water, andcarbon dioxide into energy

during photosynthesis.Other pigments also

exist in the greenalgae, but they are

often masked bythe chlorophyll.

Algae arearguably amongthe most impor-tant plants onearth. They arethe basis of foodchains in lakesand streams.Most animals thatlive in watereither feed directlyon algae or eatother animals thatfeed on algae. Inthe oceans, the

role of algae in theproduction of food and

oxygen is especiallyimportant. More than half

our planet’s surface is cov-ered with deep ocean water,

and in these waters algae are thesole producers of energy in the form of food thatfeeds the rest of the marine community and, ulti-mately, estuaries and land communities. Throughphotosynthesis, algae produce most of the oxygen inocean waters.

Large amounts of nutrients in a waterway, some-times the result of pollution, often lead to a largeincrease in algae growth, known as an algae bloom.Algae absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygenduring the day as part of the process of photosynthe-sis. At night the process is reversed. In warm wa-ters, which naturally hold less oxygen, algae bloomscan drain the water of oxygen overnight, causing fishkills.

Green Algae


Useful Resources

“Biology of Plants,” P. H. Raven, R. F. Evert, and S. E. Eichorn, Worthy, 1992.

“Field Guide to the Ferns,” Boughton Cobb, Peterson Field Guides, 1956.

“How To Know the Ferns and Fern Allies,” J. T. Mickel, 1979.

“How To Know the Lichens,” Mason E. Hale, 1979.

“How To Know the Mosses and Liverworts,” H. S. Conrad, 1972.

“The Mushroom Identifier,” David Pegler and Brian Spooner, Worthy and Smithmark,1992.

“Mushrooms and Other Related Fungi,” Lois H. Tiffany, George Knaphus, and Robert F.Nyvall, Iowa State University Extension Service, 1982.

“Mushrooms and Other Fungi of the Midcontinental United States,” D. Huffman, Lois H.Tiffany, George Knaphus, ISU Press.


Notes


Notes


Notes

Iowa's Mushrooms and Other Nonflowering Plants is one in a series of seven booklets that are part of theIowa Plants Series. The booklets in the series include:

Iowa PlantsIowa's Spring Wildflowers (IAN-301)Iowa's Summer and Fall Wildflowers (IAN-302)Benefits and Dangers of Iowa Plants (IAN-303)Iowa's Trees (IAN-304)Seeds, Nuts, and Fruits of Iowa Plants (IAN-305)Iowa's Mushrooms and Other Nonflowering Plants (IAN-306)Iowa's Shrubs and Vines (IAN-307)

The Iowa Association of Naturalists also has produced five other booklet series that provide readerswith a clear, understandable overview of topics concerning the Iowa environment and conservation. Thebooklets included in each of the other five series are listed below.

Iowa Physical Environment SeriesIowa Weather (IAN-701)Iowa Geology and Fossils (IAN-702)Iowa Soils (IAN-703)

Iowa Wildlife SeriesIowa Mammals (IAN-601)Iowa Winter Birds (IAN-602)Iowa Nesting Birds (IAN-603)Iowa Reptiles and Amphibians (IAN-604)Iowa Fish (IAN-605)Iowa Insects and Other Invertebrates (IAN-606)

Iowa's Natural Resource HeritageChanging Land Use and Values (IAN-501)Famous Iowa Conservationists (IAN-502)Iowa's Environmental Laws (IAN-503)Conservation Careers in Iowa (IAN-504)

Iowa Wildlife and PeopleIowa Wildlife and Management (IAN-401)Keeping Iowa Wildlife Wild (IAN-402)Misconceptions About Iowa Wildlife (IAN-403)State Symbols of Iowa (IAN-404)Iowa Food Webs and Other Interrelationships (IAN-405)Natural Cycles in Iowa (IAN-406)Iowa Biodiversity (IAN-407)Adapting to Iowa (IAN-408)

Iowa's Biological CommunitiesIowa's Biological Communities (IAN-201)Iowa Woodlands (IAN-202)Iowa Prairies (IAN-203)Iowa Wetlands (IAN-204)Iowa Waterways (IAN-205)

Iowa Environmental IssuesIowa Habitat Loss and Disappearing Wildlife (IAN-101)Iowa Air Pollution (IAN-102)Iowa Water Pollution (IAN-103)Iowa Agricultural Practices and the Environment (IAN-104)People, Communities, and Their Iowa Environment (IAN-105)Energy In Iowa (IAN-106)Iowa Waste Management (IAN-107)

Booklets may be ordered through the Iowa StateUniversity Extension Service at acost of $1.00 per booklet. Whenordering, be sure to use the IANnumber to the right of each listedbooklet title. Please send writtenorders and payment to:

ISU Extension ServicePrinting and Publications BuildingIowa State UniversityAmes, IA 50011515-294-5247

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Iowa's Plants Series - Iowa's Mushrooms and Nonflowering Plants