In Uttara Kannada, This Mushroom Variety Glows At Night – News18

Among the many strange and marvellous discoveries in a forest, mushrooms stand out as some of the most peculiar. They grow in the dampest, harshest environments, sometimes exuding toxic substances and appearing in a vast array of shapes and colours. One of their most fascinating traits is the ability of some of them to glow. Remarkably, over 70 types of fungi can emit light in the dark, turning these typically unremarkable organisms into a captivating spectacle.

Bioluminescent mushrooms are fungi that produce light through a natural biochemical process. This interesting phenomenon is observed in different species of mushrooms. The forest of Uttara Kannada is a treasure trove of wonders, drawing people from far and wide like a magnet. In the rural villages of Uttara Kannada, the frogs by the riverbanks, the fish caught by fishing, and the mushrooms spreading under the trees in the dense forest all captivate visitors, leaving us in awe. Recently, a rare glowing mushroom was captured by the camera of the famous photographer of the Uttara Kannada district Gopi Jolly.

These mushrooms are difficult to identify as they look like normal mushrooms in the daylight. Only those who have studied them can spot them in the morning. The enzyme luciferase is responsible for bioluminescence in a variety of organisms, including mushrooms, fireflies, and certain marine organisms.

When this enzyme is oxidised in the presence of oxygen, it releases energy in the form of light. The light emitted by mushrooms is usually green in colour. Bioluminescence in mushrooms serves a variety of natural functions. It can attract insects, which also helps in mushroom spore dispersal.

These glowing fungi are usually found only in tropical forests. They are very rare mushrooms that can only be found in such thick forests because their light is more effective in the middle of the thick forest, at night.

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