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Springbrook Research Centre
Luminous mushrooms

Mycena chlorophanos [Shepherd & Totterdell 1988]

(formerly for study purposes  Mycena Type_C )

 

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Brief overview only:


Mycena chlorophanos
  (Status = common) this medium size clustering specimen has a distinctive dark brown cap on the pileus.  Approximately 15-20mm pileus diameter.
This mushroom would be the most commonly sighted of all the luminous Mycena mushrooms in Australia having been reported to this website by interested people from as far North as Cairns in North Queensland to as far South as Sydney in New South Wales and also offshore on Lord Howe Island.
Some confusion accompanies the correct name of this mushroom as contained in observations by Aberdeen (1979: 'chlorophanus'), Grgurinovic & May (2003), Shepherd & Totterdell (1988: 'chlorophanos'), Young (1994: 'chlorophanus'), so in the interest of simplicity I have elected to use the local name in recent publications viz: Mycena chlorophanos.

Springbrook's larger and smaller luminous mushrooms have been incorrectly named.

The writer refutes the misnoma "Mycena chlorophos" given to our luminous mushroom species by others.
It does not pertain to the three larger Mycena species of luminous mushroom found in this area.
Mycena chlorophos is a northern hemisphere Asian species that is quite different to our species of Mycenae.

The real Japanese Mycena Chlorophos appears in the pic below .

Japanese_Mycena_Chlorophos.jpg (23617 bytes)

Apart from the very different visual characteristics, another  obvious difference is that the mycelium of our luminous mushroom does not display any bioluminescent properties when grown on agar.
The mycelium of Mycena Mycena chlorophanos however does occasionally display bioluminescent properties during the warm wet summer period experienced here wherever it emerges from the logs that have been manually colonised. .

Common Name: Luminous mushroom
Synonym: Mycena chlorophanos
Pileus Cap 15-20 mm broad, at first hemispherical, becoming slightly convex ; surface translucent-striate from margin to centre, coated with transparent secreted sticky fluid; context thin, membranous, translucent-white/grey,  conspicuous brown cap in the centre,  unchanging when cut; odor nil.
Lamellae Gills  radial, normal, separate from  the stipe,  white.
Stipe Stipe 20-25mm long, < 2.0 mm thick,  round, hollow, equal rising from a basal disc ; whitish, translucent.
Spores spores white in deposit.
Mycelia The mycelia grown from stem tissue propogation has not as yet displayed any obvious bioluminescent properties when growing on MYA medium in petrie dishes. Occasional bioluminescence on host logs after fruiting has been observed in very wet years.
Habitat Found widely along the Eastern side of the Great Dividing Range from as far south as Sydney to as as far North as Cape York and the islands off the Queensland Coast. Usually clustered on fallen branches of rotting soft-hardwood rainforest species or on the rotting stumps of palm fronds.   Particularly favours the genus Phoenix roebelinii [dwarf date palm] on the mainland, or rotting coconut/palm frond material on the islands ; fruiting after periods of prolonged wet summer weather throughout the mushroom season usually November to March.
Edibility Totally unpalatable. Not recommended
Comments This common Mycena is easily recognized by the large brown spot in the centre of the cap that distinguishes it from the other local species of Mycena. 
 

Mycena chlorophanos [Shepherd & Totterdell 1988]

Type_C_014_sm.jpg (12524 bytes) The largest of these clustering specimens measured 35mm pileus diameter. Soft hardwood log innoculated 2002.

Click the image for magnified view

tr_mycena_6522_th.jpg  

These clustering specimens measured 15-20mm pileus diameter.
The dark brown cap in the centre of the pileus is not evident in Types "A and B".
The dark specks are dislodged particles
of vegetable material fallen from tree cover that have been firmly attached to the pileus by the sticky fluid coating.

Click the image for magnified view

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Night shot underneath.

Showing the configuration of the hymenium.
The clustering growth habit of this specimen is a characteristic of the species.

Click the image for magnified view


Cluster of Mycena chlorophanos 2005
growing on a rotting rainforest timber log

Click the image for magnified view

 

Cluster of Mycena chlorophanos 2006
growing on a rainforest timber log innoculated in 2003.

Click the image for magnified view

 

Mycena chlorophanos  mushroom 2006
Extraordinarily large 40mm diameter specimen growing on a Foambark timber log Jagera pseudorhus (Sapindaceae).
Log innoculated in 2003.

Click the image for magnified view

Specimen #018

Another abnormally large specimen grown
in a glass case on a rotting rainforest timber log.

Click the image for magnified view

Specimen #018

Night shot of pileus top view.

Click the image for magnified view

Specimen #018

Night shot of pileus underside.

Click the image for magnified view


Mycena chlorophanos luminous mushrooms growing on woodchip substrate in a 3 litre jar.

Click the image for magnified view

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Mycena chlorophanos luminous mushroom growing on woodchip substrate in a 500ml jar.

Click the image for magnified view

Type_C_014night_sm.jpg (5793 bytes)  

Mycena chlorophanos luminous mushroom growing on woodchip substrate in a 500ml jar.
Night view same specimen as above.

Click the image for magnified view

2005   specimen #22 chosen for propogation
Click images for larger view
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G.Maguire.
Springbrook Research Centre

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