Ghost Fungus - Omphalotus nidiformis - Pure Culture

Ghost Fungus- Omphalotus nidiformis - Pure culture

Synonyms: Australian ghost mushroom  

This Mushroom is not suitable for human or animal consumption!
Luminescent mushroom for decoration. Omphalotus nidiformis, or ghost fungus, is a gilled basidiomycete mushroom most notable for its bioluminescent (ability for producing light) properties. Its bioluminescence, a blue-green color, is only observable in low light conditions when the eyes get dark-adapted. Not the entire fruit body glows, only the gills do, a phenomenon also called ""foxfire"". This is due to an enzyme called luciferase, acting upon a compound called luciferin, leading to the emission of light much as fireflies do. The fan- or funnel-shaped fruit bodies are up to 30 cm across, with cream-coloured caps overlain with shades of orange, brown, purple, or bluish-black. The white or cream gills run down the length of the stipe, which is up to 8 cm long and tapers in thickness to the base. The fungus is both saprotrophic and parasitic, and its fruit bodies are generally found growing in overlapping clusters on a wide variety of dead or dying trees. It could be mistaken as an edible pleurotus, but like most glowing mushrooms, the Omphalotus nidiformis is deadly poisonous!

Production time is 3 - 6 weeks, as this material is made fresh on demand.​
The material should be processed immediately after delivery.
It can otherwise be stored in the refrigerator at 4 °C for up to 2 weeks.
Please consider these timings when placing the order. 

Suitable cultivation methods: 
wood logs, mushroom patch

Suitable substrate: hardwood
Suitable woods: beech and oak
Outdoors: this strain produces fruiting bodies from summer to autumn

THIS MUSHROOM IS NOT INTENDED FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL CONSUMPTION!

You receive a living, actively growing, axenic cell culture, entirely free of other strains or contaminating organisms, for further propagation. Our pure cultures are custom-made and produced freshly after ordering - in a class 100 clean room environment on a solid nutrient medium (MEA) based on plant-derived raw materials. The pure culture needs around 2-3 weeks until its mature enough for shipping. The culture is supplied in special cell culture flasks (Filling volume: 15 ml culture medium, Growth area: 25 cm², Measurements: L x W x H = 79,7 x 42,6 x 26,53 mm) with breathable, hydrophobic membrane. This special design prevents introduction of contaminants and enables optimum gas exchange thanks to the high air flow rate of the membrane. With this packaging, the mushroom culture can also withstand longer shipping distance and time without compromising quality or germination ability.

This product is intended for professional production of grain spawn to further propagate this strain of fungi. Working with pure cell cultures requires detailed mushroom cultivation skills. For beginners and hobby growers we recommend starting with grain spawn or sawdust spawn. 

We highly recommend reading this book - gain further detailed knowledge for successful mushroom cultivation: 
- Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms, Dr. Paul Stamets, ISBN: 978-1580081757 (Englisch) 

Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Marasmiaceae
Family: Omphalotus
Genus: Omphalotus nidiformis
Spores: white, round to ellipsoid, 7.5 - 9.5 x 5 - 7 µ

Growing conditions:
Cultivation of this mushroom is still under research!