- cross-posted to:
- jingszo@lemmy.world
- biology@mander.xyz
- cross-posted to:
- jingszo@lemmy.world
- biology@mander.xyz
I bought a glowing plant. It led me down a rabbit hole of radiant mushrooms, 19th century experiments and a modern rivalry between scientists in Russia and the Americas.
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My mom and I have one of them (we each have one). They’re pretty cool, just difficult to take care of in Texas (they require specific temperature ranges, fertilizer, light levels, etc).
That’s interesting. I’m in the northeast near Boston and the results have been inconsistent leaving it outside although I’ve given it good soil, fertilizer and direct sunlight. It’s not doing great right now but doing its best to hang in there.
We’ve been keeping them inside on a windowsill, it’s been working fairly well so far.
I had one of these, it was really fucking cool until it died. So did the one I gave my mom. My sisters is doing better so I grabbed a clone and hoping it makes it.
Yeah I’ve been struggling to keep mine alive as well. I repotted it and was able to revive it and then all the flowers died and one of the branches. I’m trying to give it lots of direct sunlight right now but it does seem like they’re pretty delicate if not in perfect conditions and the shipping possibly traumatizes them
These are super cool :)
Interesting article, thank you. :)
I wouldn’t get one for myself because I have lots of big plants (hazel, cherry and sea-buckthorn), but it makes me wonder - why did some species of fungi start glowing? Did they do it by accident, for no good reason?
The enzymes that create Bioluminescence are called Lucifererins. Various animals have them for different reasons like protection . There seems to be debate about why exactly they evolved in so many species of fungi . It says here
Why did certain fungi evolve to glow in the dark? One prevailing theory is spore dispersal, as mentioned. Insects and other small creatures, lured by the glow, inadvertently pick up spores and transport them to new locations. However, there’s another intriguing theory: it’s a method to deter herbivores. The glow could signal potential toxicity, steering clear grazers that might otherwise feast on the mushroom.
Another fascinating hypothesis posits that bioluminescence helps the mushroom conserve energy. By emitting light, the fungi might attract insects that feed on its competitors, giving the glowing mushroom a survival edge.
Are these still available?
I think they have sold the last batch of the season but more will be available in 2025 and I think they may be working on other types of bioluminescent plants. https://light.bio/
