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Panellus astringent is, at first glance, an unremarkable mushroom, if you do not know about its interesting feature - the ability to glow in the dark. Many mushroom pickers have seen entire colonies of Panellus more than once, clinging to rotten stumps or fallen trees, but did not suspect what metamorphoses occur with the onset of night.
What does a binder panel look like?
Panellus astringent (Panellus stipticus) is a lamellar mushroom of the Mycene family. The fruiting body consists of a low stem and a fan-shaped cap.
At a young age, the cap is reniform, but as it develops, it acquires a depressed shape with tucked lobed or wavy edges, resembling an auricle. In a humid environment, the color of the cap is yellow-brown or clay, when dry it becomes light ocher. In rare cases, panelus binder can have an almost white tint. The diameter of the cap does not exceed 2-4 cm, its surface is dull, covered with grains and covered with small cracks.
The reverse side of the cap is represented by narrow thin plates located close to each other, sometimes branching or soldered in some places by bridges. Their color is identical to the cap, closer to the place of growth, the shade is more saturated. The spore powder is white; the spores themselves are oblong and bean-shaped.
The leg is located on the side. Poorly developed. Height - from 1 to 10 mm, with a diameter of 2-7 mm. The shape of the stem is cylindrical, often tapering at the base, without cavities inside. The upper part is pubescent. Color to match the hat or a little lighter.
The pulp of the binder panelus is colored in a cream or ocher shade. The structure is leathery, elastic. The mushroom has a well-pronounced odor. The taste of the pulp is astringent, slightly pungent and bitter.
Why does Panellus astringent glow in the dark?
Panellus astringent is one of the few living organisms capable of bioluminescence. Other representatives of the kingdom of fungi glow due to bacteria that have settled on their surface. But Panellus astringent emits light due to its own enzyme - luciferase. When interacting with oxygen, the luciferin pigment oxidizes and begins to glow with a cool green glow. Mature specimens shine most brightly during the ripening period of the spores. The intensity is enough not to use long shutter speeds when photographing.
Where and how it grows
Panellus astringent mushrooms are common in North America and Eurasia. Australia. On the territory of the Russian Federation, it can be found almost throughout the forest zone. This light-bearing mushroom is not uncommon in regions such as:
- Siberia;
- Primorye;
- Caucasus.
Binder panelus prefers to settle on rotten wood, most often on stumps and fallen trunks of deciduous trees. He especially loves oak, beech, birch. It grows in numerous groups, sometimes completely enclosing stumps. The main fruiting period is from the first half of August to late autumn, in some places the species can be found in spring.Fruit bodies do not rot, but simply dry up. You can often observe whole colonies of last year's mushrooms, accreted at the base.
Is the mushroom edible or not
This representative belongs to the category of inedible mushrooms. Forest fruits are not used for food, in any form. Some sources have information about edibility after heat treatment, however, it is better to refrain from eating them and not risk your health.
Doubles and their differences
Astringent panel can be confused with soft panel (Panellus mitis). The species is distinguished by a lighter, almost white color; young mushrooms have a sticky cap. The inedible twin settles on fallen branches of coniferous trees, most often on Christmas trees.
The conditionally edible autumn oyster mushroom (Panellus serotinus) is very similar to the binder panel. It is distinguished by a gray-brown or green-brown color of the cap, which is covered with a thin layer of mucus.
Conclusion
Panellus astringent is an interesting mushroom to observe and study. Few people manage to see it in all its glory, because at night in the forest you can only be by chance. Looking at the greenish mushrooms shining in the dark, one can once again see how diverse and amazing nature is.
