Can You See Me Now...?

Nature is always surprising us with something we can't quite figure out. Such is the case of these little jewels I found on Listverse.

Luminous Mushrooms

Photo credit: blog.mycology.cornell.edu

Many fungi are bioluminescent and produce light, but no one is entirely certain just why they do it. The dominant idea is that the light is used to lure insects in much the same way that stinkhorns use their odor. Like bugs around a porch light, these insects hit the mushrooms and help to spread spores.

The phenomenon of glowing fungi has been noted for millennia. The eerie green glow of rotting wood (actually produced by the fungi consuming it) has been called fox fire and faerie fire. The light is caused by an enzyme called luciferase. Now that we know how the fungi produce light, there have been suggestions that genetic engineering could be used to make trees that glow in the dark to light paths.

I really don't mind a few surprises from Mother Nature, especially nice ones such as this.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Temps are back to the high 70s.