Six pound block of supplemented sawdust colonized with the luminescent panellus mushroom, Panellus stipticus.

The mushroom that glows in the dark! After working with several species of bioluminescent fungi, we have selected Panellus stipticus for ease of cultivation and reliable glowing effects. The mycelium gives off relatively low levels of greenish light and is only visible in complete darkness after about 5 minutes of allowing your eyes to adjust. The cultures do not glow early in their growth and may take several weeks to begin producing visible amounts of light. The glow is dependent on available oxygen and dramatic and sudden increases in brightness can be achieved when cultures are exposed to the open air. The primordia, pins and mushrooms themselves glow very brightly and can be easily observed in less than complete darkness.

Mycelium may appear faint or weak, however we have found this to just be the nature of this species on sawdust blocks. The culture is strong and will thrive after transferring to other mediums.

In nature, Pan. stipticus is found growing on logs and is shaped somewhat like a small leathery oyster mushroom.

Use this block to inoculate mulched hardwood pathways in rural garden settings. Fresh, recently shredded hardwood will perform better than aged, deomcposed material. With the mycelium posessing bioluminescent properties, it is possible to detect faint light from inoculated mulched pathways, especially in very low light or dark settings. Inoculated mulch bioluminescents may not be very noticable in an urban landscape due to light pollution at night.