The Ghost Fungus
In Australian forests at night, clusters of mushrooms glow a soft, ghostly green on the trunks of trees.
What was reported
On damp autumn nights in the forests of southern Australia, walkers sometimes come across fans of pale mushrooms growing on dead wood and tree trunks that shine with a faint green light. In total darkness, the glow is bright enough to see clearly.
Glowing wood and fungi have been noticed for centuries around the world, under names like foxfire. Early writers, including Aristotle, mentioned wood that glowed in the dark.
Explanations offered
The ghost fungus, Omphalotus nidiformis, produces light through a chemical reaction like the one in fireflies. Scientists aren't sure why: it may attract insects that spread its spores. It's poisonous to eat. The glow is known as bioluminescence, and dozens of fungi can produce it.
- When
- Seen in autumn
- Where
- Southern Tasmania, Australia
- Witnesses
- Bushwalkers and naturalists
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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