Where are glowing mushrooms most often found? Bioluminescent mushroom
The Mycena Chlorophos mushroom is one of 71 species of bioluminescent mushrooms that glow green. Bioluminescent mushrooms grow in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico, and have a soft yellow-green glow.
Bioluminescence is due to a substance similar to that found in fireflies.
These neon green mushrooms, or Chlorophos Mycena, appear during the rainy season in Japanese and Brazilian forests, scattering the floor with flaming spores. The glow of mushrooms occurs due to bioluminescence, one of the amazing reactions that occur in some plants and animals.
In 1840, the famous English botanist George Gardner described an unusual sight he saw in Brazil: a group of boys were playing with a luminous object, which turned out to be a luminescent mushroom.
The children called it "coconut flower" and showed Gardner where the mushroom grew - on fallen leaves at the base of a dwarf palm tree.
Gardner sent the unusual mushroom to England, where it was described and named Agaricus gardneri. From then until 2009, scientists no longer encountered such mushrooms.
But now researchers from San Francisco State University (USA) have managed to collect new specimens of the lost species and reclassify it. The mushroom was named Neonothopanus gardneri.
This type of eukaryote glows so brightly in the dark that it can even read under these conditions. Scientists hope that careful study of this mushroom and its bioluminescent counterparts from other parts of the world will help answer the question of how and for what reason mushrooms glow.
After studying the anatomy, physiology and genetic origins of the fungus, researchers at the University of San Francisco determined that it should be classified in the genus Neonothopanus. According to scientists, collecting new samples of this species is extremely difficult - searching for this fungus requires a special approach and is fraught with great difficulties.
To see the green glow of the bioluminescent mushroom, scientists had to wander through the forest at night during the new moon, being very careful not to run into snakes and jaguars. The situation was made easier only by digital cameras, thanks to which scientists were able to detect glowing mushrooms.
Bioluminescence, or the ability of an organism to produce its own light, is a very widespread phenomenon in the animal kingdom that occurs through a number of chemical processes. Scientists suggest that mushrooms should glow in much the same way as the well-known firefly beetles, i.e. thanks to the luciferin-luciferase mixture.
However, these compounds have not yet been found in mushrooms. In addition, it remains a mystery to scientists why fungi need such a mechanism. There are several assumptions, however, they have not yet been confirmed.
Glowing mushrooms are a fairly common natural phenomenon. Today, about 70 species of mushrooms are known that emit radiant light in the dark. They are found in Brazil and Belize, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. Photos of these mushrooms are very popular and resemble a fairy-tale landscape, stunning in its splendor.
The origin of the nature of fungal bioluminescence has not yet been established. The first mentions of this phenomenon are found in the works of Pliny and Aristotle. Let's try to understand this intriguing phenomenon. But first, let's look at the most common varieties of mushrooms capable of light emission.
Glowing mushrooms are clearly visible only in the dark. In daylight they are quite difficult to notice. Careful searches and research by scientists are discovering more and more new varieties of bioluminescent mushrooms every year. The most famous of them include:
- Mycena luxaeterna (Eternal Light). The distribution area of this fungus is the Atlantic forests. It is characterized by its small size and jelly-like stem.
- Mycena silvaelucens. It is found in Malaysia, in particular it is widespread on the island of Borneo. The diameter of the cap of this mushroom is about 2 cm.
- Mycena luxarboricola (Tree Light). Their first samples were brought from Brazil. These mushrooms are most often found in Parna. The diameter of the cap is half a centimeter.
- Poromycena manipularis. A mushroom that produces a fairly bright glow in the dark. You can see it from a distance of more than 30 meters from it.
Tricks of chemistry or science is to blame for everything
Focusing on the scientific component and trying to protect yourself from miracles, you can explain the glowing effect of the mushrooms, so mysterious in the photo, by a banal chemical reaction. It involves the participation of only two components in the process: the pigment luciferin and oxygen.
The oxidation of the biological pigment is what causes the bioluminescence of the fungus, the appearance of greenish light in the dark in these eukaryotes.
But this is far from the only version of the glow. One should not discount the possibility that the color of mushrooms depends on natural conditions and their distribution area.
Defensiveness or desire to survive
According to the authoritative opinions of some scientists, luminous mushrooms owe their color to the natural conditions in which they grow. There are two main and at the same time radically opposite versions that explain luminescence.
Reproduction. Glowing mushrooms has become the main means of attracting animals to them. When they fall on the fur of a night visitor, fungal spores are spread throughout the forest. This is exactly how their reproduction occurs.
Scaring away. So attractive in the photo, mushrooms that emit light in the dark warn animals of danger and clearly indicate the toxicity of the mushroom. This forces fauna to stay away from them.
Man-made miracle
Having become interested in the phenomenon of glowing mushrooms and planning to take some wonderful photos, Martin Pfister, a popular photographer of our time, approached this issue in an unconventional way. He independently created the illusion of glow.
To do this, LED lamps were placed behind ordinary mushrooms. Thanks to them, the world saw unique photos that had no analogues.
These neon green mushrooms, or Chlorophos Mycena, appear during the rainy season in Japanese and Brazilian forests, scattering the floor with flaming spores. The glow of mushrooms occurs due to bioluminescence, one of the amazing reactions that occur in some plants and animals.
In 1840, the famous English botanist George Gardner described an unusual sight he saw in Brazil: a group of boys were playing with a luminous object, which turned out to be a luminescent mushroom.
The children called it "coconut flower" and showed Gardner where the mushroom grew - on fallen leaves at the base of a dwarf palm tree.
Gardner sent the unusual mushroom to England, where it was described and named Agaricus gardneri. From then until 2009, scientists no longer encountered such mushrooms.
But now researchers from San Francisco State University (USA) have managed to collect new specimens of the lost species and reclassify it. The mushroom was named Neonothopanus gardneri
This type of eukaryote glows so brightly in the dark that it can even read under these conditions. Scientists hope that careful study of this mushroom and its bioluminescent counterparts from other parts of the world will help answer the question of how and for what reason mushrooms glow.
After studying the anatomy, physiology and genetic origins of the fungus, researchers at the University of San Francisco determined that it should be classified in the genus Neonothopanus. According to scientists, collecting new samples of this species is extremely difficult - searching for this fungus requires a special approach and is fraught with great difficulties.
To see the green glow of the bioluminescent mushroom, scientists had to wander through the forest at night during the new moon, being very careful not to run into snakes and jaguars. The situation was made easier only by digital cameras, thanks to which scientists were able to detect glowing mushrooms.
Bioluminescence, or the ability of an organism to produce its own light, is a very widespread phenomenon in the animal kingdom that occurs through a number of chemical processes. Scientists suggest that mushrooms should glow in much the same way as the well-known firefly beetles, i.e. thanks to the luciferin-luciferase mixture.
However, these compounds have not yet been found in mushrooms. In addition, it remains a mystery to scientists why fungi need such a mechanism. There are several assumptions, however, they have not yet been confirmed.
Glowing mushrooms, photos of which are in this article, are rare in nature relative to its diversity and are not found often. There are many types of plant “lanterns” known. They all differ in the strength of the emitted light and colors. The glowing terraria mushroom has even become one of the most famous in computer games. Whether it actually exists in nature - there is no information.
Why do mushrooms glow?
Glowing mushrooms are a manifestation of the natural phenomenon of bioluminescence. It appears in some living organisms. Mushrooms that glow in the dark have also been discovered. Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction accompanied by the release of radiant energy. A cold glow appears, which got its name due to the slight release of heat during the manifestation of the phenomenon.
It is the result of a chemical reaction involving oxygen and luciferin (a light-emitting biological pigment). The reaction occurs in the tissues of the fungi when they absorb oxygen. As a result, the fabrics begin to glow. But there is another reason for this phenomenon.
For example, ordinary rotten or old russula and milk mushrooms may glow. The phenomenon occurs due to small microorganisms living in them. Their bodies emit phosphoric light, and it appears as if it is coming from a mushroom.
Where do glowing mushrooms grow?
Glow-in-the-dark mushrooms range from 68 to 71 species. More than half of them belong to the genus Mycena. They exist due to the decomposition of organic substances. The largest number of such luminous mushrooms grow in Japan - 10 species. Eight more varieties have been found in Brazil and South America. Glowing mushrooms are found in Puerto Rico, Malaysia and other places around the world.
What parts of mushrooms glow?
These amazing organisms belong to different families. Mushrooms can glow completely or in parts. Some have only the lower surface of the cap. They are mainly found in tropical, hot countries and Southern Europe. Other mushrooms have glowing vegetative organs that serve for nutrition. Such species are most often found in the middle zone.
Where can you see glowing mushrooms?
For example, the mushrooms Armillaria mellea Vahl have light or dark threads (rhizomorphs) in their mycelium. They penetrate the tree trunk and contribute to its destruction. Rhizomorphs glow in the dark, and from the outside it seems that the glow comes from the tree. This phenomenon is most often observed on already rotten trunks.
The glowing mushrooms Xylaria Hypoxylon L have club-shaped fruits that branch like antlers. Most often they grow in beech stumps. In mushrooms, only the mycelia glow. The same effect is observed in another species - X. polymorpha Pers.
Most often, mushrooms have glowing fruits. For example, one of the most famous is Pleurotus (Agaricus) olearius DC. They grow in southern Europe, under old trees. The mushrooms are very large, stand on a thick stem, but have a small yellowish-golden cap. These species glow completely, even the upper surface of the cap.
Another interesting species is Pl. Gardneri Berk, native to Brazil. These mushrooms are found on dead palm leaves. Children of local natives often use glowing pieces of such mushrooms in the evenings instead of toys. Some species grow on healthy tree trunks.
Glow power
In the species Pleurotus (Agaricus) olearius DC, luminescence is observed only in living mushrooms. The phenomenon intensifies until they are fully ripe. Then the glow subsides. But if you cut it, even the pieces will emit light for a long time.
The strength of its emission varies. The intensity of the glow varies depending on the type of mushroom. But even for the same thing it can differ due to the different duration of the life cycle. Some mushrooms glow so much that you can use them instead of a light bulb and even read next to them.
Other species become noticeable only if you approach them at a distance of 20 meters. Glowing rotten things are noticeable from afar. The strength of radiation directly depends on age. Old mushrooms or those in the dormant stage no longer glow. This phenomenon occurs only in living organisms.
The intensity of the glow may also depend on temperature. For example, honey mushrooms begin to emit only in the range from 4 to 50 degrees. For some mushrooms, the temperature should not exceed 10, while others require 50 degrees and above. The amount of oxygen is also important for glowing. If it is deficient, the flickering of mushrooms will be weaker and will stop altogether in boiled water.
Glow colors
Glowing mushrooms can emit light in different colors. The most common radiation is yellowish-greenish. Such mushrooms grow in Jamaica, Japan, Belize and a number of other countries. A faint glow can also be seen during the daytime if there is no sun. But the glow is best observed in the dark. Color variations can be very different. Some mushrooms are attracted by a soft blue glow, others by a bright red glow. There are many yellow and green shades.
Why do mushrooms glow?
There are several opinions about why the mushroom glows. Some researchers argue that this phenomenon occurs at the moment of feeding. A chemical reaction occurs, which results in glowing. According to another version, mushrooms glow to attract animals, which then carry mushroom spores on their skin, legs and paws. This is a common method of propagation for some plants.
Some luminous mushrooms thus warn of danger, scaring away those who want to feast on them. But sometimes this is a false protective reaction of mushrooms. They may well be edible. Sometimes the mushrooms themselves can act as predators, luring insects towards them with light and then eating them.
Bioluminescent mushroom December 28th, 2013
Panellus stipticus is a common species that grows in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America (including the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Siberia, Primorsky Krai. It is quite rare in the Leningrad region). It grows in groups on logs, stumps and trunks of deciduous trees, especially oaks, beeches and birches.
This is one of the bioluminescent species of mushrooms.
The small, bitter-tasting fruiting bodies of this fungus sometimes completely cover entire stumps. The caps are 1-3 cm in diameter, round or kidney-shaped, with a folded edge, smooth, moderately sticky, dirty ocher. The plates are frequent, low, with transverse anastomoses, rusty-yellowish. The stalk is short, eccentric, widened at the top, pubescent at the bottom, ocher, 0.5-2 cm long and 2-5 mm thick. Pulp with a bitter taste. Spores are colorless, smooth, cylindrical, curved, amyloid, 2-4 x 1-2 µm.
It is found, as a rule, often throughout the growing season (May - October) in large groups on fallen trunks, but more often on the stumps of some deciduous trees, mainly on alder, birch, oak, etc. Inedible.
Panellus astringentus is a bit similar to the inedible panellus soft ( Panellus mitis), which is distinguished by white or whitish fruiting bodies, mild taste, and grows on dead branches of coniferous trees, mainly spruce.
It has long been known that some living organisms, such as fish, insects and even fungi, can emit visible light. The latter, by the way, are mentioned in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, as well as the writer Pliny the Elder. However, today researchers still have many questions about the nature of glowing mushrooms.
Like other light-emitting organisms, bioluminescence in fungi is possible through a chemical reaction involving oxygen and luciferin, a light-emitting biological pigment. As a result, the tissues of the fungus in which the reaction occurs glow greenish.
Most types of mushrooms emit a faint light that can only be seen in very dark conditions, but there are some that glow quite brightly. For example, the mushroom Poromycena manipularis often has such an intense glow that it can be seen from a distance of 40 meters from it. Under the light, P. manipularis can even be read.
Today, about 70 species of mushrooms are known that are capable of bioluminescence, but it is still not clear exactly why mushrooms emit light. According to one of the researchers' hypotheses, some mushrooms need glow to attract nocturnal animals, which spread their spores, thereby helping to reproduce. And according to another version, the emitted light of the mushroom serves as a warning about its toxicity to animals.
These kinds of mushrooms grow quite naturally in warm European countries; in appearance, some are even confused with chanterelles. It's actually a mushroom Omphalotus olearius, the peculiarity of which is a bioluminescent glow, which is especially beautiful at night:
Of course, such photos are taken with a long shutter speed and you just can’t see it in the forest :-)