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Panellus astringentus is an unremarkable mushroom at first glance, if you don’t know about its interesting feature - the ability to glow in the dark. Many mushroom pickers have more than once seen entire colonies of panellus clinging to rotten stumps or fallen trees, but had no idea what metamorphoses occur with the onset of night.
What does panellus astringent look like?
Panellus stipticus is a lamellar mushroom of the Mycenoceae family. The fruiting body consists of a low stalk and a fan-shaped cap.
At a young age, the cap is kidney-shaped, but as it develops it acquires a depressed shape with tucked lobed or wavy edges, reminiscent of an auricle.In a humid environment, the color of the cap is yellow-brown or clayey; when dry, it becomes light ocher. In rare cases, panellus astringent may have an almost white tint. The diameter of the cap does not exceed 2-4 cm, its surface is matte, strewn with grains and covered with small cracks.
The reverse side of the cap is represented by narrow thin plates located close to each other, sometimes branching or soldered in some places by bridges. Their color is identical to the cap, closer to the place of growth the shade is more saturated. The spore powder is white, the spores themselves are oblong and bean-shaped.
The leg is located on the side. Poorly developed. Height – from 1 to 10 mm, with a diameter of 2-7 mm. The shape of the leg is cylindrical, often tapering at the base, without cavities inside. The upper part has pubescence. The color matches the hat or is a little lighter.
The flesh of the panellus astringent is colored cream or ocher. The structure is leathery, elastic. The mushroom has a distinct odor. The taste of the pulp is astringent, slightly acrid and bitter.
Why does panellus astringent glow in the dark?
Panellus astringent is one of the few living organisms capable of bioluminescence. Other representatives of the fungal kingdom glow due to bacteria that have settled on their surface. But panellus astringent emits light due to its own enzyme - luciferase. When interacting with oxygen, the luciferin pigment oxidizes and begins to glow with a cool green glow. Mature specimens glow most brightly during the period of spore maturation. The intensity is enough to avoid using a long shutter speed when photographing.
Where and how does it grow
Mushrooms of the type Panellus astringentus are common in North America and Eurasia. Australia. On the territory of the Russian Federation it can be found throughout almost the entire forest zone. This luminiferous mushroom is not uncommon in regions such as:
- Siberia;
- Primorye;
- Caucasus.
Panellus astringent prefers to settle on rotten wood, most often on stumps and fallen trunks of deciduous trees. Especially loves oak, beech, and birch. It grows in numerous groups, sometimes completely clinging to stumps. The main fruiting period is from the first half of August until late autumn; in some places the species can be found in the spring. The fruiting bodies do not rot, but simply dry out. You can often observe entire colonies of last year’s mushrooms fused at the base.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
This representative belongs to the category of inedible mushrooms. Forest fruits are not used for food in any form. Some sources contain information about edibility after heat treatment, however, it is better to refrain from consuming them and not risk your health.
Doubles and their differences
Panellus astringent can be confused with panellus soft (Panellus mitis). The species is distinguished by a lighter, almost white color; young mushrooms have a sticky cap. The inedible twin settles on fallen branches of coniferous trees, most often on fir trees.
The conditionally edible autumn oyster mushroom (Panellus serotinus) is very similar to the astringent panellus. It is distinguished by a gray-brown or green-brown cap, which is covered with a thin layer of mucus.
Conclusion
Panellus astringent is an interesting mushroom to observe and study.It’s rare that anyone gets to see it in all its glory, since you can only find yourself in the forest at night by accident. Looking at the greenish mushrooms shining in the dark, you can once again see how diverse and amazing nature is.
