Luminescent Panellus
Panellus stipticus
Only eastern North American populations of this fungus emit light; European populations of the identical species are completely non-bioluminescent.
- Scientific name
- Panellus stipticus
- Taxonomy
- Fungi › Basidiomycota › Agaricomycetes › Agaricales › Mycenaceae › Panellus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Temperate deciduous and mixed forests, growing on rotting logs, fallen branches, and stumps of oak, beech, and birch.
- Diet
- Saprotrophic, decomposing lignin and cellulose in dead hardwood as a white-rot agent.
- Range
- North America, Europe, East Asia, Oceania
- Size
- Cap width 1.2–3.2 cm, stem 0.6–1.2 cm long
- Lifespan
- 1–3 months (fruiting body)
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Clear-cutting and the systematic removal of coarse woody debris from managed commercial forests.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch and safe to observe closely. Do not consume, as it contains strong astringent compounds that act as a violent purgative, causing intense gastrointestinal distress and vomiting if swallowed. Wash hands after handling wild specimens.
Panellus stipticus , commonly known as the bitter oyster , the astringent panus , the luminescent panellus , or the stiptic fungus , is a species of fungus in the family Mycenaceae, and the type species of the genus Panellus . A common and widely distributed species, it is found in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, where it grows in groups or dense overlapping clusters on the logs, stumps, and trunks of deciduous trees, especially beech, oak, and birch. During the...
Photo: Alan Rockefeller, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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