Jack O’Lanterns Glow Inexperienced within the Darkish


Jack O’Lanterns Glow Inexperienced within the Darkish
Jack O’Lantern mushroom at evening, Randolph County, WV (photograph from Wikimedia Commons)

30 October 2023

When you’ve most effective noticed Jack O’Lantern mushrooms (Omphalotus olearius) all the way through the day you could have concept they had been named for his or her orange pumpkin-like colour.

Jack O’Lantern mushrooms, Schenley Park, 30 Sept 2018 (photograph via Kate St. John)

As an alternative they’re aptly named as a result of they glow inexperienced in the dead of night, as proven within the best photograph.

In all probability, like Armillaria mushrooms, Omphalotus olearius is bioluminescent on account of the chemical response they use to devour decaying wooden. Armillaria‘s chemical response glow is described on this antique article on foxfire.

Jack O’Lantern is one among most effective about 112 species of fungi which might be bioluminescent. To find out extra at 10 Bioluminescent Mushrooms That Glow within the Darkish.

p.s. By no means devour Jack O’Lantern (Omphalotus olearius). It’s toxic!

(pictures from Wikimedia Commons & Kate St. John; click on at the Wiki caption to peer the unique)

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