The glowing mushroom phenomenon
There is such a thing as bioluminescence - the glow of living organisms. Glowing mushrooms are part of this phenomenon. Some species glow not only in the dark, but also during the day. Science provides various explanations for this phenomenon.
The glowing mushroom phenomenon
General information
Glowing mushrooms were first identified in 1840 in Brazil. Then they disappeared and over time the luminescent fruiting bodies were again found in the same place. The phenomenon is mentioned even in the works of the ancient scholar Aristotle and the writer Pliny the Elder.
There are many poisonous organisms among these species. The size of mushroom caps does not exceed 3 cm in diameter. The most common is Mycena (feed and decompose organic matter). Radiation is more often yellowish-green, but also light blue, deep red, etc. They are found in the forests of Japan, South America, Brazil, Belize, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, Southern Europe, etc.
The reasons for the glow
More often the whole fruiting body glows. In our latitudes, there are mushrooms that have a luminous mycelium. Scientific research has revealed contradictory reasons for the occurrence of this phenomenon:
- Chemical reaction: the process involves the pigment luciferin and oxygen. The pigment oxidizes and produces a greenish glow.
- Habitat: features of the place of growth of the fungus.
- Dispute spread method: attraction of nocturnal animals, on whose wool spores fall and are carried in this way through the forest.
- Prevention method: light notifies about the toxicity of fruit bodies. But a defensive reaction is not always warranted, because they can be edible.
The glow of most species is weak, it is visible only in the dark. But there are also mushrooms that, due to their flickering, can be seen at a distance of 30 m. They are called Poromycena manipularis.
The fruiting body usually glows entirely
The strength of the radiation of different types depends on the following factors:
- life cycle;
- fruiting body age: old mushrooms no longer glow, unlike young ones;
- ambient temperature: the most intense bioluminescence of these fungi is observed at + 21˚С;
- the amount of oxygen in the air: the smaller it is, the weaker the glow.
The most common types
Luminous mushrooms have recently been represented by 68 species. But every year the number of discovered species with this property is increasing. The most famous are the following:
- Mycena luxaeterna: found off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. They grow on the branches of trees. The diameter of the cap is 0.8 cm. The leg is jelly-like. The name translates as "eternal light".
- Mycena silvaelucens: the species was found on the island of Borneo (Malaysia). The size of the cap is 18 mm.
- Mycena luxarboricola, or "light on the tree ": a type of glowing mushroom, the first specimens of which were found in Brazil. Most common on the Parana River. The diameter of the cap is 0.5 cm.
- Poromycena manipularis: small mushrooms have been found in Australia, Malaysia and the Pacific Islands. The mycelium and fruiting bodies of this species are bioluminescent. The yellow-green glow they emit can be seen at a distance of up to 30 m.
- Pleurotus (Agaricus) olearius DC: grow in southern Europe. They prefer places under old trees. Fruiting bodies are large, the leg is thick, the cap is yellow-golden. Whole fruit bodies glow.
- Xylaria Hypoxylon L: grow on beech stumps. The glow gives the mycelium. Fruit bodies are usually branched.
- Armillaria mellea Vahl: mycelium of this species destroys wood. Light and dark filaments of mycelium penetrate the entire trunk. Due to the glow in the dark, it seems as if the radiation comes from a tree.
- Neonothopanus gardneri, or "Palm color": mushrooms are found in Brazil. They grow at the base of palms. Until 2009, the species was called Agaricus gardneri.
Glowing mushrooms come in many varieties
Application
Glowing mushrooms are sometimes used medicinally.
Luminous dictyophora has medicinal properties - a rare species that grows in the jungle. According to the recipe of Count Alessandro Cagliostro, an elixir is prepared from it, for which the following ingredients are needed:
- 4 g dry chopped dictyophora;
- 200 g of vodka or brandy;
The medicine is insisted for 2 weeks. Is taken orally for 1 tsp. Or 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day 15 minutes before meals. It can help in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases and is capable of:
- fight cancer cells;
- give the effect of rejuvenation;
- help in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases;
- enhance potency.
To date, scientists from Russia, together with Brazilian and Japanese colleagues, have created mushrooms that glow with almost all the colors of the rainbow. Decorative lanterns made from such mushrooms, hanging from tree trunks or placed on the ground, can decorate gardens.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
The glow of mushrooms is noticeable only in the dark, it can be both strong and very weak (you can notice it only when taking special photographs). Bioluminescence is the ability of living organisms (no matter what) to glow independently or with the help of symbionts. This process is based on chemical reactions in which energy is released, but not in the form of heat, but in the form of light.
Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Yampolsky Ilya Viktorovich and his team of specialists from the Moscow Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, managed to find out that the luminous mushrooms contain a special type of luciferin, the ninth type, which is sharply different from those already described by experts and is the first for the kingdom of Mushrooms. Yampolsky believes that this type of luciferin is compatible with substances that are used in plant biochemistry, which will result in the creation of autonomous glowing plants that can become an alternative night light. This will happen due to the fact that such plants will synthesize luciferin on their own.
It is worth trying to grow a glowing mushroom with your own hands. To get a good harvest, you need good seedlings. Luminescent fruiting bodies are rare, so sticks with mycelium are bought at special factories or in stores. It must be remembered that in nature, such species grow more often in the humid tropics. The mycelium will begin to bear fruit if you create an appropriate natural microclimate in a room intended for growing such amazing mushrooms.
Conclusion
Glow-in-the-dark mushrooms, or "ghost mushrooms," are especially common in rainforests. Some of their types emit such strong radiation that they can be used as flashlights. Also, these organisms have medicinal properties.
