The mysterious case of glowing mushrooms in Meghalaya forests

Nature never ceases to amaze or surprise us with its secrets. A new variety of mushrooms has been discovered in the forests of Northeast India during a mushroom documentation project which glows like the northern lights.

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Key-Points

The new species — named Roridomyces phyllostachydis — was first sighted on a wet August night near a stream in Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong in East Khasi Hills district and later at Krang Shuri in West Jaintia Hills district.

It is now one among the 97 known species of bioluminescent fungi in the world.

The new species was important because it was the first mushroom in the Roridomyces genus to be found in India. It was the only member in its genus to have light emitting from its stipe or stalk.

Bioluminescence is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.

Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence. Bioluminescent organisms are usually found in the ocean environments, but they are also found on terrestrial environments.

The colour of the light emitted by the organism depends on their chemical properties. In the case of fungi, the luminescence comes from the enzyme, luciferase.