Neonothopanus gardneri
Description
Meet Neonothopanus gardneri, a remarkable bioluminescent mushroom found in the forests of Goiás, Piauí, and Tocantins in Brazil! Locally called flor de coco, this enchanting fungus lights up the forest floor with its green glow, making it one of the brightest bioluminescent mushrooms known. 🌌
🌟 Historical Glow-Up: Discovered in 1839 by English botanist George Gardner, this mushroom was first thought to be a firefly! Gardner stumbled upon children playing with glowing objects in the streets of Villa de Natividade, only to realize they were holding radiant mushrooms. Originally named Agaricus phosphorescens, it later gained its rightful title thanks to Gardner’s colleague Miles Joseph Berkeley.
🧬 Scientific Rediscovery: After over a century, Neonothopanus gardneri was rediscovered in 2005 by a team of scientists, including Patricia Izar, Elisabetta Visalberghi, and Dorothy Fragaszy. Genetic analysis revealed its closest relative is Neonothopanus nambi, distinguishing it from other glow-in-the-dark fungi like Omphalotus.
🌞 Looks that Glow: This fleshy yellow mushroom boasts a darker center that fades to a soft yellow or cream around the edges. With caps spanning 1–9 cm (up to 3.5 inches) across, the young mushrooms start convex with a small central bump, eventually flattening into a funnel shape. Its decurrent, widely spaced gills match the cap's color, and both cap and gills emit a magical green glow at night—stronger than most other luminescent fungi! 🌠
🌴 Habitat: You’ll find Neonothopanus gardneri at the base of certain palm trees, such as the pindoba (Attalea humilis), piaçava (A. funifera), and babaçu (A. speciosa), thriving on decaying palm leaves in its tropical home.
Synonyms
Agaricus gardneri Berk. ex Gardner (1840)
Pleurotus gardneri (Berk. ex Gardner) Sacc. (1887)
Dendrosarcus gardneri (Berk.) Kuntze (1898)
