Mushrooms/Bioluminescent Mushrooms

Mycena chlorophos  

This photo was entirely illuminated by the phosphorescence of the mushroom. Exposure was 4 minutes at f/4, 400ASA.

Omphalotus nidiformis
(Berk.) O.K.Mill. Mycol. Helv. 6: 93 (1994)

Common Name: Ghost Fungus This gilled toadstool has fruit bodies which are typically funnel-shaped, with a white cap which often becomes darker yellow, brown, blue or purple (especially in the centre). The gills and spore print are white. Ghost Fungus usually grows in clusters at the base of trees. The most distinctive feature of the Ghost Fungus is its strong luminescence, the purpose of which is unknown. It is poisonous, causing severe vomiting. It is sometimes confused with Pleurotus species, which are non-luminescent.

Ghost Fungus - Onphalotus nidiformis
The large fruiting bodies form colonies around Eucalypts
and on stumps of eucalypts and introduced pines.

Ghost Fungus by Day and Night
<!-- Ghost Fungus by day Photographer – Bruce Fuhrer <br> Ghost Fungus by night Photographer – Bruce Fuhrer <br> --> The fungus is luminous, glowing with a greenish light at night.
It causes heart rot in Eucalypts.

Luminescent fungi (probably Omphalotus),
Central Cebu, NP, Cebu (Phillippines)

Omphalotus olearius
Jack-O-Lantern mushroom

Omphalotus illudens

Omphalotus olivascens
Omphalotus olivascens The Jack O'Lantern fungus is sometimes also called a False Chanterelle because of its yellowish color and decurrent gills. It can, however, be distinguished from the true chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius, by a combination of characters: Cantharellus cibarius has ridges rather than true gills, never develops the olive tones of the Jack O'Lantern, and grows in oak duff, not on rotting wood. Omphalotus olivascens is interesting in that the fruiting bodies are luminescent, at least when fresh, though to appreciate this quality requires sitting for many minutes in a completely dark room before the greenish glow becomes visible. In fresh specimens this glow is sometimes bright enough to read a newspaper!
Toxic; causes severe gastrointestinal upsets

Panellus stipticus
The photograph above shows the fruiting bodies of Panellus stipticus.
After drying out, the mushrooms stop glowing, however when they are re-moistened they become luminescent again.
Panellus stipticus is a basidiomycete which grows on wood and produces fruiting bodies similar to oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.). This is one of the brightest glowing fungi I have cultured on agar, and glows even brighter (especially the fruiting bodies) on wood substrates. The technique I use to grow this species is to make rye-grain spawn by inoculating jars with agar cultures. The grain spawn is then mixed with sterilised hardwood shavings in filter patch bags, to form mycelial block which may then be fruited under the right conditions. Panellus stipticus has been reported in Great Britain, but the British strains apparently do not glow.

Panellus stipticus. Common in the Netherlands. Saprophytic on trunks, stems and branches of deciduous trees, especially Oak and Alder. Char.: cap fan- or kidney-shaped, very finely scaly (± felty), dull, pale ochreous to cinnamon; stem eccentric, short; taste acrid; smell fruity (?); can be found all through the year. Photo: public wildlife garden in Leiderdorp, on mouldered oak-stump (A. Biemans). Diameter on photo: ± 1-2 cm.

Panellus stipticus spores are available.

Examples of bioluminescent fungi include Armillaria mellea, Mycena citricolor (syn. Omphalia flavida), Omphalotus olearius (syn. Clitocybe illudens) and Panellus stipticus [2,3], although luminescence is exhibited only by the North American strains of P. stipticus and not by the Eurasian strains [2]. Luminescence may be present in mycelia, for example in a number of Mycena species, or in both mycelia and fruiting bodies, for example in P. stipticus and O. olearius [3]. <!-- <p><font face=arial> <a href="glowing_shrooms.html"><b>glowing_shrooms.html</b></a><br> <a href="_dir_.html"><b>_dir_.html</b></a><br> <a href="_dir_0.html"><b>_dir_0.html</b></a><br> </font> -->