Filoboletus manipularis

About Filoboletus manipularis: 

• It is a fascinating species of bioluminescent mushroom.
• These mushrooms glow a bright green at night due to a chemical reaction in their cells.
• Habitat: They thrive in tropical, humid environments, typically found in dense forests where there’s plenty of decaying organic matter, like fallen trees and leaves.
• This rich, moist environment provides the nutrients and conditions necessary for their growth and their unique glowing property.
• Biochemical process: The chemical reaction involving luciferin (a pigment) and luciferase (an enzyme) with oxygen plays a critical role in these mushrooms. This reaction produces light, a trait shared with other bioluminescent organisms like fireflies and certain marine creatures. 
• Advantage: In fungi, this glowing mechanism is thought to attract insects, “which help disperse the mushroom’s spores”.

What are mushrooms?

• Mushrooms constitute secondary saprophytic fungi of the forest ecosystem.
• Secondary saprophytic fungi play a very important role in the decomposition of plant litter. 
• The Western Ghats region in Kerala is rich in fungi, many of which could also be described as endemic to the region.

Q1: What is a Fungi?

These are eukaryotic organisms made up of unicellular or multicellular arrangements.

Source: Scientists discover rare species of bioluminescent mushrooms in Kasaragod, warn against their consumption