Rhizomorphs / Armillaria on Oak.

[John Hancock]

I seem to recall reading or hearing (radio 4) that the rhizomorphs, of honey fungus, that extend out in the soil searching for a host if dug up while still alive fluoresce in the dark, and in the years before electric they would hang them in barns to provide light.

 

And that this is the origin of the idea of a magic wand, have any of you guys heard of this??

 

 

Sounds like you’ve been eating the mushrooms instead of I.D’ing them!

[Stephen Blair]

SWB, I think all the shroom boys have gone beddy byes, we'll have wait till the morning.

QUOTE]

 

 

 

Just awoken and returned from the Far Far away of Mycodreamland, where I'm really a pixie called Fred and spend the dark hours prancing about with the woodland folk, on a giant applanatum bracket, lit up by the luminecent light of the moon

 

 

I had been aware of this but don't remember the context or reference.

 

Here's a wee little explanation I found

 

The natural phenomenon of bioluminescence is the emission of visible light by living organisms mediated by an enzyme-catalysed (‘luciferase’) reaction of molecular oxygen with a substrate (‘luciferin’). Bioluminescent organisms are diverse and widely distributed in nature, for example bacteria, dinoflagellates, fungi and insects. The luciferases show no homology to each other and the luciferins are also chemically unrelated. Molecular oxygen is the only common feature of bioluminescence reactions, indicating that the luminescent systems in most organisms may have evolved independently (Wilson & Hastings, 1998).

 

 

 

 

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its all so clear now fred:001_smile:

[David Humphries]

Nature doing it's thang......

 

 

 

 

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[sean]

That is absolutely awesome David....great find....great shot!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Tis a fantastic image of mellea rizos, still waiting to find "the perfect shot" I will have it one day!

 

I was unaware of the Bio luminesence aspect of armilaria sp, its a common theme in fungi though so not suprising.

 

i asume the "lucifera" term is due to it being a thing of the dark connecting it to the lucifer demon!

[armchairarborist]

'whoa dont put armillaria on a landy', thats asking for trouble, they can rot way faster than trees.. oh heres my feeble effort - on a maple

[David Humphries]

unwrapped & exposed

 

kinda looks like the crown of Christ

 

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[Amelanchier]

It would seem that bioluminescence offers a way to distinguish between individual species of Armillaria mycelium. Research indicates that luminescence of the sapro A. gallica is enhanced by additional light whereas the more parasitic A. mellea and A. tabescens show an aborting of the phenomena in the same conditions.

 

Dynamics of bioluminescence by Armillaria gallica, A. mellea and A. tabescens -- Mihail and Bruhn 99 (3): 341 -- Mycologia

 

So, peel some bark off, wait til its dark and rock up with a torch?!

[monkeypuzzle22]

Great link posted above, definately worth the read, really interesting results!

[David Humphries]

Armillaria fruiting, & showing the associated rhizomorphs, here on Oak............

 

 

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