{"id":10063,"date":"2021-12-01T11:08:14","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T11:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10063"},"modified":"2021-12-06T20:13:36","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T20:13:36","slug":"why-does-jack-olantern-mushroom-glow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/why-does-jack-olantern-mushroom-glow\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does The Jack O\u2019Lantern Mushroom Glow?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jack o\u2019lantern mushrooms are named partly for their round, orange caps and partly for their ability to glow in the dark. But what gives this mushroom<\/a> such a unique ability? Why does the jack o\u2019lantern mushroom glow? Are there any other bioluminescent mushrooms out there? Keep reading to find out more!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Causes Jack O\u2019Lantern Mushrooms to Glow in the Dark?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The idea of glowing mushrooms may sound bizarre, but if you think about it, there are a number of things in nature that glow–fireflies, for example, and many deep sea-dwelling creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these, including jack o\u2019lanterns, have one thing in common: a luminescent enzyme known as luciferase or luciferin. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This enzyme is abundant in fireflies and glow worms, giving them the ability to blink brightly and be seen from a great distance. It is not usually as abundant in jack o\u2019lantern mushrooms, so their glow is typically more muted and less noticeable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, fireflies light up for the purpose of attracting mates; but mushrooms don\u2019t need to attract mates. What, then, is the reason behind their nocturnal glowing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not, the answer is also related to reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mushrooms reproduce by releasing spores, which blow on the wind and start new mushroom colonies in different locations. But mushrooms that grow from dead wood, such as the jack o\u2019lantern, are often so close to the ground that the breeze may not reach them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, at night, the mushrooms glow to attract insects, which in turn act as \u201cpollinators\u201d<\/em> to help spread the mushroom spores. This phenomenon is known as foxfire.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The jack o\u2019lantern\u2019s glow can is sometimes strong enough to be seen by humans<\/a>, especially on a dark night. The glow is most prominent when the mushrooms are young and fresh. The glow fades as the mushrooms age and stop producing spores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does a Jack O\u2019Lantern\u2019s Glow Look Like?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A jack o\u2019lantern\u2019s glow begins in the mycelium, the mushroom\u2019s \u201croot system\u201d<\/em> which typically can\u2019t be seen. Most of the luciferase enzyme exists in the mushroom\u2019s gills on the underside of the caps; this is the part of the jack o\u2019lantern that you are most likely to find glowing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jack o\u2019lanterns typically grow in tightly packed clusters, so a patch of young mushrooms on a particularly dark night may look a bit like a clump of green landscape lights.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The light produced is a pale greenish yellow, similar to a firefly\u2019s glow, but the glow is easy to miss except on a very dark night with little other light interference. Even then, they only glow from the undersides of their caps, and the glow is usually very dim, so it takes a keen eye to be able to spot glowing jack o\u2019lanterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this brief video to see what glowing jack o\u2019lanterns look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8abKGjULHNI<\/a>