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'Mushroom magic' glows in an Australian rainforest

It was on a summer night, at full moon, after monsoon rain, that Juergen Freund found this glowing "ghost fungus", on a dead tree in the rainforest near his home in Queensland, Australia.

Comparatively few species of fungi are known to make light in this way. Quite why they have bioluminescent properties is unclear. No spore‑dispersing insects seem to be attracted to the light, which is produced constantly and may just be a by-product of the fungi's metabolism.

Juergen's imagery is highly commended in the 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

31 August 2021

Wildlife photography

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