Flora & Fauna of Korea #47

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: 녹색가위뿔노린재 Green scissor horn stinkbug
Scientific name: Acanthosoma forficula Jakovlev
Distribution: Korea, Japan

This stinkbug is about 14 to 16 millimeters long. It is emerald green, and becomes darker when it is dead. It has many black dots around the body. The head is yellow with only a few dots around it. The antenna are long and usually light brown. Some specimens have yellow marks on the back of the anterior thorax. The thorax is slightly indented along the front and side. The indented part is slightly red. Some of these stinkbugs are lighter red in the mesoscutum. The postnotum is light brown and transparent. The back of the abdomen is vivid red and the end of the bond is black.



Trees

Name: 오미자 Five-flavored berry
Scientific name: Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.
Type: deciduous broadleaf vine
Blooming season: April to June
Bearing season: August to October
Distribution: mountains nationwide

This vine grows to about 6 to 9 meters tall. The bark is grayish brown. The stems are thin. The leaves are alternating, oval, acuminate and acute. There are tiny sawteeth along the edge. Small hairs grow along the vein from the underside of the leaf. This dioecious tree gives bloom to milky-whitish red fruit and the berries are red.



Mushrooms

Name: 잣버섯 Jatbeoseot
Scientific name: Neolentinus lepideus (Fr.) Redhead & Ginns
Type: saprophile spore
Print: white
Edible

This mushroom grows from both dead and fallen trees of needle-bearing trees, either alone or in clusters. It causes brown rot. The cap is about 5 to 30 centimeters long. It's originally semi-circular and gradually becomes flat. The surface is between white and yellow, with some reddish brown scales. The pleats are white, densely-arranged and sawteeth develop at the top. The stipe is 2 to 8 centimeters long and 1 to 2 centimeters around. It is also between white and yellow. It's pine-scented.



Herbs & Flowers

Name: 나도냉이, 산냉이, Mountain pickpurse
Scientific name: Barbarea orthoceras Ledeb.
Blooming season: May to June
Bearing season: August to September
Distribution: mountain valleys along the mountain

This perennial grows on the waterside. It stands about 70 centimeters tall. The leaves grow in clusters from the roots and are pinnate and separated into small segments. It has long petioles. The stems alternate. The surface has no hairs and is lustrous. The underside of the leaves are damson and have no stipe. It gives bloom to yellow flowers at the raceme. The flower is cross-shaped and doesn't burst easily.

*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.