Flora & Fauna of Korea #43

Korea.net publishes a series of articles, “Nature You Meet in the Mountains,” about the peninsula’s mushrooms, insects, trees and herbs & flowers.


Insects

Name: 북쪽비단노린재, North Silk Stinkbug
Scientific name: Eurydema gebleri Kolenati
Distribution: Korea, China and Russia

This stinkbug is about 6 to 9 millimeters long, black, with a hue of cobalt blue or green blue, with a bold pattern in red or orange. There are many variations in body color. The body is covered with tiny black dots. The forehead and both edges are orange. The first knuckle of the antenna is green-blue. The back of the frontal thorax has a Y-shaped orange pattern in the middle. The frontal wings also have orange patterns along the outer edges. The orange stripes found on the wings are the species' distinct feature.

Ecology: It inhabits farmland and forests.




Trees

Name: 산뽕나무, Sanbbongnamu
Scientific name: Morus bombbycis Koidz.
Type: deciduous broadleaf shrub
Blooming season: May
Bearing season: June to July
Distribution: mountains nationwide

This tree grows to a height of 7 to 8 meters in the mountains. It grows to a meter in diameter and the bark is gray-brown. The leaves are oval-shaped, or ovate, and have random sawtooth edges. The leaf is long and pointed toward the end, like a tail. The central vein on the underside of the leaf is covered in small hairs. It gives bloom to dioecious and polyfamous flowers. The male flowers have dropping catkins under the current shoot. The female flowers are oval-shaped. It bears compound fruits.


Mushrooms

Name: 아까시재목버섯, Akkasijaemok beoseot
Scientific name: Perenniporia fraxinea (Bull.) Ryvarden
Type: saprophile spore
Print: white
Inedible

This mushroom grows in clusters from the lower parts of broadleaf trees, such as cherry trees. It grows on small layers of white butt rot. The cap is about 5 to 20 centimeters long and about 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters thick. It is a yellow semi-spherical lump at first, which then turns semi-circular. It's reddish brown or black-brown, with a vague ring-pattern. With age, it goes through a cutinization process. The outer edge of the cap is yellow. There are six to seven poles, each being 3 to 10 millimeters deep.





Herbs & Flowers

Name: 피나물/노랑매미꽃, Yellow Cicada Flower
Scientific name: Hylomecon vernalis Maxim.
Blooming season: April to May
Distribution: mountains nationwide

This perennial plant grows to a height of 30 centimeters in the forest. The leaves are alternating, long and oval-shaped, have pointed ends and are randomly edged with sawtooth patterns. It gives bloom to at least one and up to three flowers from each plant. The flowers are yellow and have four glossy petals. It has a yellow stamen at the center of the flower. It bears capsule fruits, each about 3 to 5 centimeters long.

*This series of article about Korea’s insects, trees, mushrooms and herbs & flowers has been made possible through the cooperation of the Korea National Arboretum.