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Ogla



Registered: 02/16/04
Posts: 11,320
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Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark
#18747532 - 08/23/13 02:10 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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August 22, 2013

On a recent trip to southern China, I came across glowing mushrooms while walking through a bamboo forest on my way home from dinner.
People have recognized bioluminescence in mushrooms for thousands of years, but the advent of LED lights, better photographic technology and expanding general interest have increased the numbers of known glowing mushroom species and the knowledge about such mushrooms.
The glowing mushroom I saw in China — part of my work supporting a Texas Tech University/National Science Foundation student research project — is a bamboo mushroom that's relatively common throughout tropical Asia. In the genus Favolaschia, it is characterized by having a lateral stem (stipe) and wide, bulbous pores instead of gills.
Yet, the fact that this species of Favolaschia is bioluminescent has apparently been unknown to science until I recognized the glowing this summer. Researchers that specialize in bioluminescence and the chemistry that causes it are now studying the fungus.
Not all Favolaschia are bioluminescent, and interestingly, this species from China only glows when it starts to decay — not when it is fresh, which is when many other fungi glow.
Asia, Brazil and Australia are hotspots for bioluminescent mushrooms, but the organisms are found all around the tropical world and in some temperate areas as well.
Researchers believe that the bioluminescence affects the dispersion of spores by attracting insects that carry them away while consuming the fungus or during other routine activities.
The bioluminescent mushroom hunts have been some of my most exciting, as I often go deep into the rainforest, alone, at night, and walk with the lights off as much as possible. In the past, I've had encounters with bats, snakes, spiders, peccaries and barking deer that can be absolutely hair-raising.
This trip is part of a worldwide quest to find and photograph bioluminescent mushrooms, whether known to science or not. Having already been to Madagascar, Brazil and China this year, I'm now planning my locations for 2014.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on LiveScience.
Videos in link
http://www.livescience.com/39105-chinese-fungus-glows-in-the-dark.html
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xAbsolut Zero
Endangered Species


Registered: 09/11/11
Posts: 150
Loc: Washington
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: Ogla] 1
#18747999 - 08/23/13 04:25 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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i think it would be awesome to find a bioluminescent psylocibe species munching down on a glow in the dark mushroom in the rainforest frying balls
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boneynerd
Mushway! EatFresh!



Registered: 04/23/07
Posts: 1,287
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: xAbsolut Zero]
#18748080 - 08/23/13 04:53 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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absolutely. thatd fly off the shelvs at spore places. i know i want sum ;D
-------------------- "Your mama's grow was so contaminated, the shroomery got trich." -SpitballJediS "your a female, no one woulda cared you were naked,hell probably made someone's day, but I pull my balls out on a bus and im the bad guy.." -Bishlap
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Durin


Registered: 01/06/13
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: boneynerd]
#18748271 - 08/23/13 05:51 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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So is this the real deal? The last time I saw a bioluminescent fungi news report it was for some mystical monkey mushroom in the Congo, turned out it was just P. stipticus.
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funkerdslr
Δ9



Registered: 04/08/13
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: Durin]
#18748355 - 08/23/13 06:15 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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I wonder how it tastes.
I few months ago around the summer solstice i went out into the mt.hood national forest with some friends, we were all walking around and i noticed something glowing in the under brush. I rummaged around untill i found it, a tiny little mushroom, about 1/4 inch tall glowing bright green. We started to look around for more and found about 10 more groing arounf in little patches.
Anyway, i really think bio-luminescence is amazing, and these pictures (if real) are very cool too.
-------------------- RIP Alice
<3 Chinacat72 <3
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Magick
Thinker


Registered: 01/25/09
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Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: xAbsolut Zero]
#18748539 - 08/23/13 07:10 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
xAbsolut Zero said: i think it would be awesome to find a bioluminescent psylocibe species munching down on a glow in the dark mushroom in the rainforest frying balls
If I remember correctly (I may not), I think that the substance which makes these mushrooms glow in the dark causes pretty bad gastrointestinal upset. Thus, the likelihood of it being consumable is pretty low if I'm right on that.
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Adden

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 39,201
Loc:
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: Magick]
#18750367 - 08/24/13 07:20 AM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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I always love reading about shit like this.
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Salomon
ಠ︵ಠ balance ಠ_ಠ weaver ಠ‿ಠ

Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 25,128
Loc: America, FUCK YEAH
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: Adden]
#18751438 - 08/24/13 01:02 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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so it's edible and glows?
man if someone gets a hold of production of this species, they could potentially make a lot of money with food safe glowing dyes.
-------------------- EVERYTHING EVENTUALLY BECOMES A DESERT
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Legend
RIP Sasha



Registered: 03/29/10
Posts: 28,336
Loc: TX
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: Salomon]
#18758033 - 08/26/13 12:31 AM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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damn thats pretty rad.
--------------------
No sympathy for the devil, keep that in mind. [url=]Buy the ticket, take the ride. [/url]Are you lost?
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist

Registered: 03/10/07
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Re: Chinese Fungus Glows in the Dark [Re: Salomon] 1
#18760032 - 08/26/13 03:24 PM (10 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
funkerdslr said: I few months ago around the summer solstice i went out into the mt.hood national forest with some friends, we were all walking around and i noticed something glowing in the under brush. I rummaged around untill i found it, a tiny little mushroom, about 1/4 inch tall glowing bright green. We started to look around for more and found about 10 more groing arounf in little patches.
If you find any more please dry some and send it to me.
Quote:
Durin said: So is this the real deal?
Yes, this one has nice quality photos.
Quote:
Magick said: If I remember correctly (I may not), I think that the substance which makes these mushrooms glow in the dark causes pretty bad gastrointestinal upset. Thus, the likelihood of it being consumable is pretty low if I'm right on that.
Nah its nontoxic. Some glowing mushrooms have other toxins, others do not.
Quote:
Salomon said: so it's edible and glows?
man if someone gets a hold of production of this species, they could potentially make a lot of money with food safe glowing dyes.
I do not think this genus has toxic members, so most likely it is edible.
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Magick
Thinker


Registered: 01/25/09
Posts: 846
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Good to know and correct that misunderstanding, thank ya
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