Omphalotus nidiformis
Encyclopedia
Omphalotus nidiformis, or ghost fungus, is a gilled basidiomycete mushroom
found in southern Australia most notable for its bioluminescent
properties. Generally found growing on dead or dying trees, it is saprotroph and parasite.
Its scientific name is derived from the Latin
nidus "nest", hence 'nest shaped'. Similar in appearance to the oyster mushroom
, it was previously considered a member of the same genus, Pleurotus
, and described under the former names Pleurotus nidiformis or Pleurotus lampas. However, it is poison
ous and while not lethal, consuming this mushroom leads to severe cramp
s and vomiting. Poisonings have occurred over confusion with oyster mushrooms. It is one of several species with bioluminescent properties occurring worldwide, all of which are poisonous with the exception of Armillaria.
as Agaricus nidiformis, before being later placed in the genus Pleurotus
in 1887. It was finally placed in the genus Omphalotus
with other bioluminescent mushrooms by Orson K. Miller, Jr.
in 1994. Material had been collected by James Drummond
in 1841 from the Swan River
and described by Berkeley as both this and Agaricus lampas. The latter name (as Pleurotus lampas) persisted in some texts but has been synonymised with this species.
Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin
terms nīdus 'nest' and forma 'shape' or 'form', hence 'nest shaped'. Lampas is derived from the Greek
lampas/λαμπας 'torch'. Drummond reported that the local aborigines were fearful when shown the luminescent fungus and called out chinga, a local word for spirit.
Several species with similar bioluminescent properties occur worldwide, all of which are poisonous. The best known are the North American jack o'lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius) and the Tsukiyotake (Omphalotus japonicus (Kawam.) Kirchm. & O.K. Mill., aka Lampteromyces japonicus (Kawam.) Sing.) found in Japan
and eastern Asia
. A recent molecular study shows the ghost fungus to be most closely related to the western jack o'lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olivascens
) which is abundant in Southern and Central California
.
, it is nonspecific in its needs and can be found on native Banksia
, Hakea
or Acacia
and various Myrtaceae
as well as introduced trees such as Pinus or Platanus
species. They may be first seen at night as a pale whitish glow at the base of trees in a eucalypt forest.
The cap
is very variable in color, ranging from cream though often tinted with orange, brownish, greyish, purple or even bluish-black shades. Younger specimens are often darker. Growing up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter it is funnel-shaped or fan-shaped in appearance with inrolled margins. The cream-white gills are decurrent and often drip with moisture. The stipe
may be central to lateral in its attachment to the cap and is up to 8 cm (3 in) long and tapers to the base. The thin flesh is creamy white in colour. There is no distinctive smell or taste. The spore print
is white.
Its bioluminescence is best seen in low-light conditions when the viewer's eye
s develop night vision
. The gills are the most luminescent part of the fungus, emitting a greenish light which fades with age. The light has been reported bright enough to read a watch face by.
It may be confused with the brown oyster mushroom (Pleurotus australis
), which is brown in colour and does not glow in the dark.
, where it was first recorded by Scottish naturalist James Drummond
, and south eastern Australia, from eastern South Australia
through to southeast Queensland
. It also occurs in Tasmania
. It can be found in eucalypt and pine forests, as well as in urban parks and gardens. Fruiting bodies can be numerous and occur in overlapping clusters on dead wood.
compound known as illudin
, which is also responsible for its bioluminescence.
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
found in southern Australia most notable for its bioluminescent
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Its name is a hybrid word, originating from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring form of chemiluminescence where energy is released by a chemical reaction in...
properties. Generally found growing on dead or dying trees, it is saprotroph and parasite.
Its scientific name is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
nidus "nest", hence 'nest shaped'. Similar in appearance to the oyster mushroom
Oyster mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom, is a common edible mushroom. It was first cultivated in Germany as a subsistence measure during World War I and is now grown commercially around the world for food. However, the first documented cultivation was by Kaufert There is some question about the...
, it was previously considered a member of the same genus, Pleurotus
Pleurotus
Pleurotus is a genus of gilled mushrooms which includes one of the most widely eaten mushrooms, P. ostreatus. Species of Pleurotus may be called oyster, abalone, or tree mushrooms, and are some of the most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms in the world...
, and described under the former names Pleurotus nidiformis or Pleurotus lampas. However, it is poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous and while not lethal, consuming this mushroom leads to severe cramp
Cramp
Cramps are unpleasant, often painful sensations caused by muscle contraction or over shortening. Common causes of skeletal muscle cramps include muscle fatigue, low sodium, and low potassium...
s and vomiting. Poisonings have occurred over confusion with oyster mushrooms. It is one of several species with bioluminescent properties occurring worldwide, all of which are poisonous with the exception of Armillaria.
Taxonomy and naming
The ghost fungus was initially described in 1844 by English naturalist Miles Joseph BerkeleyMiles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology....
as Agaricus nidiformis, before being later placed in the genus Pleurotus
Pleurotus
Pleurotus is a genus of gilled mushrooms which includes one of the most widely eaten mushrooms, P. ostreatus. Species of Pleurotus may be called oyster, abalone, or tree mushrooms, and are some of the most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms in the world...
in 1887. It was finally placed in the genus Omphalotus
Omphalotus
Omphalotus is a genus of Basidiomycete mushroom formally described by Victor Fayod in 1889. Members have the traditional cap and stem toadstool form. The best known and type species is the jack-o'-lantern mushroom . Species of Omphalotus, which are poisonous, have been mistaken for chanterelles...
with other bioluminescent mushrooms by Orson K. Miller, Jr.
Orson K. Miller, Jr.
Orson Knapp Miller, Jr., born December 19, 1930, died June 9, 2006, is an American mycologist. He has published numerous papers in mycology and is responsible for the naming of many taxa, as well as being one of the authors erecting the genus Chroogomphus:...
in 1994. Material had been collected by James Drummond
James Drummond (botanist)
James Drummond was a botanist and naturalist who was an early settler in Western Australia.-Early life:...
in 1841 from the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
and described by Berkeley as both this and Agaricus lampas. The latter name (as Pleurotus lampas) persisted in some texts but has been synonymised with this species.
Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
terms nīdus 'nest' and forma 'shape' or 'form', hence 'nest shaped'. Lampas is derived from the Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
lampas/λαμπας 'torch'. Drummond reported that the local aborigines were fearful when shown the luminescent fungus and called out chinga, a local word for spirit.
Several species with similar bioluminescent properties occur worldwide, all of which are poisonous. The best known are the North American jack o'lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius) and the Tsukiyotake (Omphalotus japonicus (Kawam.) Kirchm. & O.K. Mill., aka Lampteromyces japonicus (Kawam.) Sing.) found in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. A recent molecular study shows the ghost fungus to be most closely related to the western jack o'lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olivascens
Omphalotus olivascens
Omphalotus olivascens, commonly known as the western jack-o'-lantern mushroom, is an orange to brown-colored gilled mushroom native to California and Mexico. To an untrained eye, O. olivascens appears similar to some chanterelles, but unlike the chanterelle, the jack o'lantern mushroom is poisonous...
) which is abundant in Southern and Central California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Description
The fruiting body of the ghost fungus can be found on dead or diseased wood, where it causes white heart rot. A saprobe or parasiteParasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
, it is nonspecific in its needs and can be found on native Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
, Hakea
Hakea
Hakea is a genus of 149 species of shrubs and small trees in the Proteaceae, native to Australia. They are found throughout the country, with the highest species diversity being found in the south west of Western Australia....
or Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
and various Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
as well as introduced trees such as Pinus or Platanus
Platanus
Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....
species. They may be first seen at night as a pale whitish glow at the base of trees in a eucalypt forest.
The cap
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
is very variable in color, ranging from cream though often tinted with orange, brownish, greyish, purple or even bluish-black shades. Younger specimens are often darker. Growing up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter it is funnel-shaped or fan-shaped in appearance with inrolled margins. The cream-white gills are decurrent and often drip with moisture. The stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
may be central to lateral in its attachment to the cap and is up to 8 cm (3 in) long and tapers to the base. The thin flesh is creamy white in colour. There is no distinctive smell or taste. The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is white.
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
s develop night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
. The gills are the most luminescent part of the fungus, emitting a greenish light which fades with age. The light has been reported bright enough to read a watch face by.
It may be confused with the brown oyster mushroom (Pleurotus australis
Pleurotus australis
Pleurotus australis, the brown oyster mushroom, is a gilled fungus native to Australia and New Zealand. It is found on dead wood. Although morphologically similar to some other Pleurotus fungi, it has been shown to be a distinct species incapable of cross-breeding.-External links:* at University...
), which is brown in colour and does not glow in the dark.
Distribution and habitat
It occurs in south western Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, where it was first recorded by Scottish naturalist James Drummond
James Drummond (botanist)
James Drummond was a botanist and naturalist who was an early settler in Western Australia.-Early life:...
, and south eastern Australia, from eastern South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
through to southeast Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. It also occurs in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. It can be found in eucalypt and pine forests, as well as in urban parks and gardens. Fruiting bodies can be numerous and occur in overlapping clusters on dead wood.
Biochemistry
Omphalotus nidiformis is not edible. Although reputedly mild tasting, eating it will result in vomiting which generally occurs 30 minutes to two hours after consumption and lasts for several hours. There is no diarrhea and patients recover without lasting ill-effects. The toxic ingredient is thought to be a sesquiterpeneSesquiterpene
Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be acyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations...
compound known as illudin
Illudin
The illudins are a family of sesquiterpenes with antitumor antibiotic properties produced by some mushrooms. In their isolated form, illudins show selective toxicity for myelocytic leukemia and other carcinoma cells....
, which is also responsible for its bioluminescence.