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January 6, 2009 : Omphalotus olearius
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Plant Family / Families: Omphalotaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Omphalotus olearius (DC.) Sing.
Name Location: northeast Kansas, USA
A big thanks to C. Wick of Atchison, Kansas who graciously allowed this photograph to be shared (originally posted in this Fungus and Lichen Appreciation thread). Much appreciated!
Ruth starts today's entry: Jack-o-lantern fungus is seen here in daylight although its splendour really grows after sunset. The gills on the underside of these orange fruiting bodies glow an eerie green in the dark!
Through metabolic and physiological functions, all living things must produce and ultimately dispose of waste. This fungus exudes its waste through its gills, and some of these wastes are luciferases. Luciferases are enzymes / secondary metabolites commonly used for bioluminescence (or emission of light by a living organism) such as in fireflies (Photinus pyralis). There are five commonly accepted reasons for bioluminescence: camouflage, attraction, repulsion, communication, and illumination (mostly in underwater creatures). As for why bioluminescence occurs in Omphalotus, I haven't been able to track down a reference. However, for more on the particulars of this species, see Omphalotus olearius on Tom Volk's website.
Daniel adds: I notice Tom Volk also refers to the compound illudin S that is present in members of the genus Omphalotus. Of illudin S, Tom notes: "[it] has been found to be active against a whole mess of different cancer cells in vitro. Unfortunately illudin S is somewhat too toxic for clinical use. Synthetic analogs have been prepared recently that are less toxic, and yet active." One of these synthetic analogues is Irofulven. An early paper on this chemical: MacDonald JR, et al. 1997. Preclinical antitumor activity of 6-hydroxymethylacylfulvene, a semisynthetic derivative of the mushroom toxin illudin S. Cancer Research 57 (2): 279-83.
Oh, and before any asks: no, it's not edible. It looks somewhat look a chanterelle, but it'll make you regret ingesting it (as Tom Volk declares: "Omphalotus olearius won't kill you -- it will just make you wish you were dead").
Photography resource link: the photography of UK's David Ward, someone I learned about a few months ago. I've picked up his book Landscape Beyond.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at January 6, 2009 9:29 PM
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Comments
Posted by: Max at January 6, 2009 11:41 PM
How fascinating. I wish I could see them after dark. Amazing.
Posted by: Meg Bernstein at January 7, 2009 2:57 AM
This little feller is being sent on to all of my e-mail friends and relatives. I know that some of them already have subscribed, so they get two this time.
Thanks to you and all the people who work with you. How lucky you all are.
And we get the benefits!
How lucky we all are. Smiles smugly.
Posted by: Sue in Bremerton WA at January 7, 2009 4:03 AM
Can someone give a reference to an image of O. olearius showing its bioluminescence?
Posted by: James K at January 7, 2009 4:55 AM
Nature IS better than Photo Shop ! Love thse emails.
Posted by: Mary Miller at January 7, 2009 5:18 AM
Is anyone old enough to remember Eugene Fields, a man who wrote poetry for children back at the turn of the last century? He had one called "The Dicky Bird", and it sang in the Omphalala Tree. Today's li'l mushroom brought this immediately to mind.
I clicked on the link and it was fun to see what they look like at night, too.
This is such an interesting site to see every day!
Posted by: annie morgan at January 7, 2009 5:20 AM
Thanks, again, guys. You did a wonderful job in '08, and I'm looking forward to more of the same in '09. I look forward to kickstarting my days with a visit to the Botany site - it's my coffee substitute.
Have a wonderful year!
Posted by: Jacqueline at January 7, 2009 6:01 AM
WOW!
Posted by: Deb Christmas at January 7, 2009 6:09 AM
The reference to the fact that all living things produce waste and must have ways of getting rid of it set my mind to spinning. All animals are a no brainer in that respect, from mammals down to one celled critters. But my brain stalled at higher plants. My guess is that the O2 they give off is one waste, but perhaps other waste is generated also and perhaps exuded from roots or leaves. I admit my ignorance on this topic. Ah well, time to research. This site is my morning pick-me-up. It always wakes up my brain. Thanks, Daniel
Carol
Posted by: Carol Ross at January 7, 2009 7:28 AM
"In a 'Lassie' episode, Timmy and Boomer scared the girls into not kissing them at a Halloween party by smearing jack-o-lanterns mushrooms on their faces to emit an eerie glow."
This is from The Toadstool Review of the Minnesota Mycological Society, in an entertaining article by Joy Hassan -- Fungus Light Among Us. She also describes her own first terrifying encounter following a fire-and-brimstone lecture at a Baptist college. a PDF can be downloaded at:
www.minnesotamushrooms.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=3&Itemid=6
Posted by: Hollis at January 7, 2009 7:29 AM
Jack o lanterns don't normally have blue on them- was the photo messed with? Looks like where it's blue should be blackish brown to me. They are pretty none the less. But you won't find mushrooms that look just like this shot outside.
Posted by: Tammy at January 7, 2009 8:24 AM
Any questions on this set of mushrooms I'll try to answear....
The colors were due to the dryness and the way the sunlight was reflecting from them...
The glow is SPECTACULAR to see...not always vibrant but noticable in the deep night....
A friend of mine ate some thinking they were chanterelles.......he was sick and cramping for over a week....
They have a wonderful almost orangy citrus smell? to me anyway.....
Criters aren't very fond of eating them either...this particular grouping stayed around it's stump for weeks...
Thanx Daniel for posting another of my favorite 'critters' as the BPOD!
Posted by: C.Wick at January 7, 2009 8:33 AM
Wow. I definitely want to pursue biology. I love animals, plants and all of the amazing things I am learning this year! Mushrooms are especially interesting, from the "common" mushroom to the chantrelles and all of the other kinds! Definitely a strange and beautiful mushroom. Does anyone know if these grow in the Midwest USA? Interesting that they are active against cancers, maybe there would be a way to tone own it's toxic-ness (if that's a word) and to use it in hospitals. Definitely a lot to learn about this world we live in!
Posted by: A at January 7, 2009 9:35 AM
Hello 'A'........these were found in NE Kansas...so definately 'Mid-West'...durring late summer these are pretty prolific around oak trees in my area.
Posted by: C.Wick at January 7, 2009 9:54 AM
Uau, great colours, beautiful blue!
Posted by: Lucia at January 7, 2009 3:24 PM
Incredible!! Makes me wish for the abstract images you presented a year ago. Any chance?
Posted by: Cyndy Henderson at January 7, 2009 3:45 PM
Hrrmm.. most of my abstracts in the past year had to do with rock forms. I'll add a few now and then, though.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at January 7, 2009 3:47 PM
as i am a breast cancer survivor so far
i have real interest in this plant
and the work being done with it
this is a fine picture i would think
the painters who read this page are
sitting and painting away
thank you to one and all
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at January 7, 2009 4:25 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Wow, looks psychedelic. Great the daily posts are back again :-)