Panellus stipticus

Panellus stipticus

Mycelium of Panellus stipticus growing on woodchips. The photograph is a merged image taken in light with a 2 minute dark exposure.

Panellus stipticus

The photograph above shows the fruiting bodies of Panellus stipticus. After drying out, the mushrooms stop glowing, however when they are re-moistened they become luminescent again.

Top: Panellus stipticus mycelium grown on MYA for 10 days @ 25 degrees Celcius.
Bottom: Panellus stipticus grown on rye grain for 28 days@ 25 degrees Celcius.

Panellus stipticus is a basidiomycete which grows on wood and produces fruiting bodies similar to oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.). This is one of the brightest glowing fungi I have cultured on agar, and glows even brighter (especially the fruiting bodies) on wood substrates. The technique I use to grow this species is to make rye-grain spawn by inoculating jars with agar cultures. The grain spawn is then mixed with sterilised hardwood shavings in filter patch bags, to form mycelial block which may then be fruited under the right conditions. Panellus stipticus has been reported in Great Britain, but the British strains apparently do not glow.