Monday, November 20, 2006

Shrooms That Glow!


That's right, you read it correctly. There are mushrooms which actually glow in the dark! The greenish glow emanates primarily from the gills of a fungi. It's usually not a very bright glow, in fact, the best way to observe it is to sit in a totally dark room and let your eyes adjust for several minutes. But sometimes it's bright enough that you can see it outdoors at night; in fact, that's what "foxfire" (organic luminescence) is! Apparently there are several species of bioluminescent fungi. Two of which are the Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus illudens, left) and Luminescent Panellus (Panellus stipticus). The mycelium (the mass of interwoven filamentous hyphae which forms the vegetative body of a fungus) give off relatively low levels of greenish light. The glow is dependent on available oxygen and dramatic and sudden increases in brightness can be achieved when cultures are exposed to the open air. Psychedelic, man!
Posted by kev :: 11:23 PM ::