Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988] - luminous mushrooms at Springbrook Research Centre.

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Page last updated 02-Mar-10

Springbrook Research Centre
Luminous mushrooms

Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]

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New pics added January 2008 click here

Brief overview only:

Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]
(Originally classified as Type_B, status = rare) this larger cream/white mushroom is generally 30-40mm pileus diameter and tends to be in smaller numbers on logs on the ground that are in the advanced stage of decomposition of the sapwood.

This larger mushroom, Mycena lampadis, was first discovered on Springbrook by the writer in 1988.
The study of same was postponed until recently due to lack of time, expertise and facilities in which to propogate the species, all of which we now have developed.
The luminescence (pale green colour) of Mycena lampadis is quite outstanding .
On misty evenings the glow when reflected through the mist gives the appearance of a very large light source. A single large specimen of this mushroom produces sufficient light to enable reading a newspaper at night.
These mushrooms require high humidity and almost complete shade cover to survive and are only found in the wild in the warmer months of the year during the wet season on Springbrook.

Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]

18-11-2003
First early fruiting in our controlled environment.
A composite pic above of Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988] luminous mushroom grown in our controlled environment on a soft-hardwood rainforest timber log.
Click either side of composite image above for larger individual pic.

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Comparison of Mycena lampadis and Mycena chlorophanos

Click the image for magnified view

Common Name:	Luminous mushroom
Synonym:	Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]
Pileus	Cap 30-40 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, unchanging when cut; odor nil.
Lamellae	Gills radial, normal, separate from the stipe, white.
Stipe	Stipe 25-30mm long, < 2.0 mm thick, round, hollow, equal rising from a basal disc ; whitish, translucent.
Spores	spores white in deposit.
Mycelia	The mycelia occasionally displays bioluminescent properties during the warm wet summer period at Springbrook after logs that have been innoculated have finished fruiting. The mycelia grown from stem tissue propogation has not as yet displayed any obvious bioluminescent properties when growing on MYA medium in petrie dishes.
Habitat	Found only in high altitude sub-tropical rainforest. Usually singular but occasionally clustered on fallen branches of soft-hardwood rainforest species ; fruiting after periods of prolonged wet summer weather throughout the mushroom season usually November to March.
Edibility	Totally unpalatable. Not recommended
Comments	This white Mycena is easily recognized by it's larger size and a pure white cap that distinguishes it from the other local species of Mycena.

05-03-2003
Tissue Culture

Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]
Luminous mushroom
Specimen # 004: Day 10

Tissue culture exuding mycelia on an agar plate ..... advancing nicely.

Click the image for magnified view

Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]
Luminous mushroom
Specimen # 004: Day 4
25mm diameter specimen found growing on a wattle branch.
Note the mycelial growth pattern.
Tissue taken from an exceptional luminous mushroom both in size , shape and bioluminescence

Click the image for magnified view

Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]
Luminous mushroom
Stem tissue propogated mycelium growing on substrate in a 500ml jar.

10 days growth displayed.

	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 14: Day 3 Full size luminous mushroom image taken in the dark. The dark patches are pieces of rotting wood fallen from the host log and stuck in the sticky fluid coating the pileus. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 23: Day 2.5 Juvenile fruit body (daytime shot) The host log has been inverted to show the sticky fluid running across the pileus. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 14: Day 2 Maturing fruit body (daytime shot) Looking straight through the fluid coating into the stipe (stem) orifice in the pileus. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 14: Day 1.5 Juvenile fruit body (daytime shot) Note the sticky fluid being "pumped" from the stipe (stem) orifice of the pileus. The use of this sticky fluid produced by the mushrooms although as yet undetermined, could be excreted to cover the pileus as either a UV sun-screening fluid to protect the micro-thin pileus from solar radiation, or to protect the mushroom from being prematurely eaten by insects. In support of this hypothesis, the absence of this sticky fluid on occasional specimens that do not display bioluminescent properties appears to cause premature dessication of the mushrooms when exposed to sunlight. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 14: Day 1 Juvenile fruit body (daytime shot) Note the sticky fluid starting to flow from the stipe (stem) orifice to coat the pileus. Click the image for magnified view

Spore Release
12-03-2004

Click the image for larger photo

Spore Release:
Watching spores being released from luminous mushrooms in our enclosed environment would put to rest a common misconception that the mushrooms rely on insects and gasteropods (slugs,snails) to distribute the spores.
The spore release was photographed of an elevated specimen in our enclosed environment with the specimen being placed at 1.5 metres above ground level in near still conditions. The only air movement being natural convection as the external wind-driven exhaust fans in the ceiling were not moving at the time of the photograph being taken.
Temperature 25° C. RH 75%
The spore release very gently wafted a distance of 5 metres slowly rising up into the warmer air close to the ceiling toward the ventilation aperture. This spore trail remained intact before being disturbed by our breathing and movement in our enthusiasm to obtain more photographs.
The spore drift can be likened to a fine smoke trail.
Spore release of Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988]
Dependant on climatic conditions, occurs usually on the third or fourth day of development of the fruit body. If a specimen mushroom is detached from it's growth medium, spore release can prematurely occur within one to two hours.

Inter-continental distribution theory.....
In the wild I have no doubt that given optimal weather conditions of a warm thermal updraft at the time of a spore release, the spores could easily travel to great heights and distances, and could explain how Mycena species have become so widely spread along the Western side of the Pacific rim.
It is quite possible that the northern hemisphere Mycena Chlorophos originated in the warmer climate of the northern part of the ancient Gondwanaland landmass prior to the breakaway of the Asian landmass and continental shift away from Australia. It is also possible that of necessity it developed characteristics more suited to equatorial conditions.

Spores of Mycena lampadis at 10x magnification through a CCD CMOS camera.

Click the image for a larger view

Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 070208

	Author holding a good size specimen of Mycena lampadis. Click the image for magnified view
	Side view showing the basal disc Click the image for magnified view
	Topside...note the pure creamy-white cap. Click the image for magnified view
	Full underside view Click the image for magnified view
	Part side and part underside view Click the image for magnified view
	Side view square on showing the shape of the pileus. Click the image for magnified view

*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 21
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 21: night shot This extraordinary specimen both in form and luminosity measuring 30mm pileus diameter is currently being cloned. The dark patches are dislodged particles of rotting wood fallen from the host log that have been firmly attached to the pileus by the sticky fluid coating. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 21: day shot underneath showing the configuration of the hymenium. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 21: day shot underneath closeup showing the fluid excreting orifice inside the cut away stipe (stem). Click the image for magnified view
	19-02-2005 *Mycena lampadis.[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 190205: Topside This exceptional specimen and others resulted from innoculation of a log cut from a fallen Red Apple tree (Acmena ingens*) some 3 years ago and kept in 24 hour darkness. Digital Video capture in night mode at 150mm focal length. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 190205: Underside Digital Video capture in night mode at 150mm focal length. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimens # 040305: Underside Digital Video capture in night mode at 300mm focal length. This cluster of specimens produced enough light to read a newspaper in total darkness. Click the image for magnified view

15-12-2003 Small insects attracted to luminous mushroom as breeding host.
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] luminous mushroom pileus on a glass plate. Note the insects stuck in the sticky fluid that coats the pileus.These insects will not survive. Only insects that approach the mushroom from the underside will successfully feast on the mushroom spores. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 151203: diffused light shot showing the configuration of the cluster found on a eucalypt branch on the ground. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen # 151203: night shot of the same specimen. Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen log # 200108: night shot of the largest specimen showing size. One specimen of 60 on the same log innoculated in 2003 Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen log # 200108: Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen log # 200108: Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen log # 200108: Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen log # 200108: Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen log # 220210: Click the image for magnified view
	*Mycena lampadis.*[Maguire 1988] Specimen log # 220210: night pic. Click the image for magnified view