Emily Johnson
Ghost mushrooms, or Omphalotus nidiformis, are a gilled basidiomycete mushroom known for their bioluminescent properties. They emit a soft green light and grow exclusively underground in caves. The best place to farm them is in the Fungal Rock cave in Un'Goro, where the climate is perfect for their development. To grow them at home, a careful and methodical process is needed, and several factors must be considered, such as mushroom cultures, substrate and growing medium, light and dark cycles, and other environmental conditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Omphalotus nidiformis |
| Common Names | Ghost mushroom, ghost fungus |
| Bioluminescence | Luciferin compound causes mushrooms to glow from within |
| Colour | White, cream, yellow, purple, orange, brown, bluish-black |
| Habitat | Southern Australia, Tasmania, India, NSW Southern Highlands |
| Growing Conditions | Dead or dying trees, pine stumps, decaying wood, underground in caves |
| Edibility | Poisonous, not suitable for human or animal consumption |
| Cultivation | Difficult, requires careful and methodical process |
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What You'll Learn
Ghost mushrooms are bioluminescent and grow in caves and forests
Ghost mushrooms, or bioluminescent mushrooms, are a fascinating natural phenomenon. They emit a soft, ghostly green glow in the darkness of caves and forests. This light is created by a chemical reaction involving luciferase, an enzyme, and oxygen, similar to the process that makes fireflies glow.
These mushrooms are found in various locations around the world, including Brazil's Atlantic Forest, which has one of the world's highest concentrations of glowing mushrooms. The forest's biodiversity is under threat, with over 80% of its tree cover lost, but emerging ecotourism is helping to boost the local economy and fund conservation efforts. Visitors can join nighttime hunts for neon fungi, including the Mycena lucentipes, which appear ordinary during the day but emit a luminous neon-green glow at night.
Ghost mushrooms are also found in Australian forests, where they are quite elusive, as it is rare for people to wander through the forest without a light source. They are, however, visible to the animals living in the forest ecosystem, such as insects and small mammals.
In addition to forests, ghost mushrooms grow exclusively underground in caves. The Fungal Rock cave in Un'Goro is known for its abundance of ghost mushrooms, and the Funggor Cavern in Zangarmarsh is another cave where these mushrooms can be found.
The bioluminescence of ghost mushrooms serves a purpose similar to that of fireflies: to attract insects that will aid in spore dispersal. This phenomenon is called foxfire and typically occurs in fungi growing on decaying wood.
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They are poisonous and should not be consumed
Ghost mushrooms, or Omphalotus nidiformis, are a gilled basidiomycete mushroom known for their bioluminescent properties. They are often found in Southern Australia and Tasmania, but have also been spotted in India, as well as in caves. They grow on pine stumps, dead wood, and decaying and diseased wood, and can be found at the base of eucalyptus trees.
The bioluminescence of ghost mushrooms is due to a chemical reaction inside the fungi. The mushrooms glow because of a compound called luciferin, which is the same compound that makes other plants and animals glow. The light emitted by ghost mushrooms is usually a blue-green colour, but can also appear white.
The fruit bodies of the ghost fungus are generally found growing in overlapping clusters on a wide variety of dead or dying trees. They can be first spotted at night as a pale whitish glow at the base of trees. The cap is variable in colour, sometimes cream but also tinted with orange, brown, purple, or bluish-black shades. The margin is generally lighter in colour, with a cream or tan shade.
Although they are poisonous, ghost mushrooms can be admired for their mystical luminescence. They provide a spectacular example of bioluminescence and are a beautiful mushroom in the daytime.
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They were first documented in 1844
Ghost mushrooms (Omphalotus nidiformis or O. nidiformis) are bioluminescent fungi that emit a soft green glow at night. They were first documented scientifically in 1844, according to the Atlas of Living Australia. The ghost mushroom has had a winding taxonomic history, with its current name bestowed upon it by American mycologist Orson K. Miller Jr. (O.K. Mill) in 1994.
The knowledge of the Aboriginal people of Australia, where the ghost mushroom is native, was passed down through oral histories for generations. It was only in the 19th century that this knowledge was recorded in writing. While there isn't always enough information to identify a mushroom definitively from these oral histories, there is information suggesting that ghost mushrooms may have been important to Aboriginal people. One early settler in Western Australia recounted stories of a "large, luminous mushroom" that caused Aboriginal people to cry out "Chinga!".
Tasmanian botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn collected material in October 1845, which led to the naming of the species Agaricus phosphorus in 1848. In 1887, Italian mycologist Pier Andrea Saccardo placed all three named taxa in the genus Pleurotus, which was later synonymised with O. nidiformis. However, the name Pleurotus lampas persisted in some texts, including a 1934-35 monograph of Australian fungi by John Burton Cleland.
Ghost mushrooms are found in diverse environments, most often in Southern Australia and Tasmania. They grow on decaying plant material, pine stumps, dead wood, and diseased wood. They can be found at the base of trees in eucalypt forests. Ghost mushrooms are not safe for consumption, but they are a popular attraction for visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of their mystical luminescence.
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They are found in southern Australia, Tasmania, India, and North and South America
Ghost mushrooms, or Omphalotus nidiformis, are bioluminescent mushrooms that are found in several parts of the world, including southern Australia, Tasmania, India, and North and South America.
In southern Australia, ghost mushrooms are primarily found in the southwestern and southeastern regions of the continent. In the southwest, they have been recorded in Perth, the Avon wheatbelt, Augusta, and along the southern coastline to Esperance. In the southeast, they can be found in eastern South Australia, Mount Gambier, the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Mount Lofty Ranges, the Murraylands, the Flinders Ranges, and the Eyre Peninsula. They are also present in Tasmania and Queensland. Outside of Australia, ghost mushrooms have been recorded on Norfolk Island and in India, specifically in Kerala, where they were discovered growing on a coconut tree stump in 2012 and again in 2018.
In North America, ghost mushrooms are commonly known as the jack o'lantern mushroom (O. olearius) and are found in Southern and Central California. A similar species, the tsukiyotake (O. japonicus), is found in Japan and eastern Asia.
The ghost mushrooms found in South America are likely the same species as those in North America, as they are also referred to as jack o'lantern mushrooms. These mushrooms are found in temperate forest floors and are known for their distinctive waxy whitish colour and inability to obtain energy from sunlight.
While the specific locations vary, ghost mushrooms generally favour certain environmental conditions. They are typically found in pine and eucalypt forests, arid scrublands, subalpine areas, and urban parks and gardens. They grow on dead or diseased wood, particularly on tree trunks and stumps, and are often found in clusters. The best time to look for them is after rainfall in the autumn, and they are easier to spot during the daytime, especially in pine forests with less understorey.
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They require a careful and methodical process to grow at home
Ghost mushrooms, or Omphalotus nidiformis, are a gilled basidiomycete mushroom known for their bioluminescence. They are most commonly found in southern Australia and Tasmania, but have also been spotted in India and Japan. These mushrooms grow exclusively underground in caves, and their fruit bodies can be found on dead or diseased wood. While they may be poisonous, they are a fascinating species to grow at home.
Growing ghost mushrooms requires a careful and methodical process. Firstly, gather the necessary tools and materials, such as a syringe, brown rice flour, logs of wood, and mushroom spawn. The growing environment must be carefully controlled, taking into account factors such as light and dark cycles, temperature, and humidity. The substrate and growing medium, such as brown rice flour or wood logs, should be prepared in advance to provide the optimal conditions for the mushroom spawn to take root.
It is important to source healthy mushroom spawn or cultures to ensure successful growth. The spawn should be carefully injected into the prepared substrate using a syringe. This step requires a steady hand and attention to detail to ensure the spawn is distributed evenly and at the correct depth. The growing medium should then be kept in a controlled environment with the appropriate temperature, humidity, and light conditions to encourage mushroom growth.
Once the mushrooms begin to appear, it is crucial to maintain the right conditions for their development. This includes monitoring the light exposure, as ghost mushrooms are known for their bioluminescence, and providing adequate ventilation to prevent excess moisture buildup. Regularly checking for any signs of contamination or pests is also essential to ensure the mushrooms grow healthily.
Harvesting ghost mushrooms at the right time is an important step in the process. These mushrooms are typically ready for harvest within a few weeks of spawning. However, it is important to monitor their growth and only harvest when they have reached maturity. Gentle handling and careful storage conditions are necessary to preserve the delicate nature of these mushrooms.
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Frequently asked questions
Ghost mushrooms, or Omphalotus nidiformis, are known to be found primarily in southern Australia and Tasmania, but they have also been reported in India and Japan. They grow exclusively underground in caves and on dead or diseased wood.
Yes, ghost mushrooms are poisonous. While not lethal, their consumption leads to severe cramps and vomiting. The toxic properties of the mushroom are attributed to compounds called illudins.
A careful and methodical process is needed to grow ghost mushrooms. Mushroom cultures (or spawn), substrate and growing medium, light and dark cycles, and other environmental conditions must be considered.
