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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 .
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] |
|
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The largest of
these clustering specimens measured 35mm pileus diameter. Soft hardwood log innoculated
2002. Click the image for magnified
view |
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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 |
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Cluster of Mycena chlorophanos 2005
growing on a rotting rainforest timber logClick the image for magnified view |
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Cluster of Mycena
chlorophanos 2006
growing on a rainforest timber log innoculated in 2003.
Click the image for magnified view |
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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 |
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Specimen #018 Another abnormally large specimen grown
in a glass case on a rotting rainforest timber log.
Click the image for magnified view |
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Specimen #018 Night shot of pileus top view.
Click the image for magnified view |
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Specimen #018 Night shot of pileus underside.
Click the image for magnified view |
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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 |
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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 |