Spatial distribution of light in luminescent fungal mycelia

Summary

The spatial distribution of light in luminescent mycelia of Armillaria mellea and Panus stipticus grown on agar plates was examined by image intensification microscopy. Although, at any instant of time, not all parts of the mycelia emitted light, all kinds of hyphae—primary, secondary, tertiary, aerial, submersed, or superficial—were observed to emit light sometime during the lifetime of the colony. In the individual hypha, light emission was confined to a segment removed from the growing point. The growing point was dark so long as it remained a growing point.