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Ghost Fungus, Australian Glow Fungus
A poisonous, strongly bioluminescent funnel- or fan-shaped mushroom that grows in overlapping clusters on dead and dying wood in southern Australia. It is the main toxic look-alike of oyster mushrooms there and causes poisonings in Victoria when mistaken for them.
Poisonous. Contains illudins (illudin S, illudin M, illudosin). Vomiting starts 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating and lasts several hours, with recovery (Southcott 1974); the South Australian State Herbarium also lists diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Mistaken for oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus and the native brown oyster P. australis), which do not glow in the dark.
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Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
