In Meghalaya, researchers formally described a green-glowing fungus growing on dead bamboo as Roridomyces phyllostachydis. Residents already knew about glowing fungi in the area and reportedly used bamboo clumps covered with them as an alternative to torchlight. The mushroom’s stalk glows; its beige cap does not. Why it produces light—and how bright the glow is—remain unestablished in the cited reports.
What is the glowing mushroom from Meghalaya?
Roridomyces phyllostachydis is a bioluminescent fungus collected on dead bamboo in Meghalaya’s East Khasi and West Jaintia (spelled “Jayantia” in the original paper’s abstract) Hills. Its scientific description identified it as a new species and the first record of the genus Roridomyces in India. The researchers used its physical characteristics and DNA analyses of nrITS and nrLSU regions to classify it. Read the taxonomic description.
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The name’s second part refers to Phyllostachys, the bamboo genus from which the fungus was first collected, according to the Indian Express. That naming detail alone does not establish that the fungus grows only on that bamboo or reveal its full ecology.
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What part glows?
The green light comes from the stipe, or stalk. The beige cap is not luminous. Mycologist Samantha Karunarathna told the Indian Express, “Why only the stipe is bioluminescent in this mushroom is still a mystery.” See the 2020 report.
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That report describes fungal bioluminescence generally as a chemical reaction involving luciferin, luciferase and oxygen. It does not establish the specific biochemical pathway in R. phyllostachydis.
Did local people really use them as natural torches?
According to the Indian Express account, yes—with an important distinction: residents reportedly gathered bamboo clumps bearing many of the fungi and used the glowing clumps as an alternative to torchlight. The report describes local knowledge predating the formal scientific description. Photographer Stephen Axford recalled asking residents whether bioluminescent mushrooms grew nearby and hearing the reply, “Of course, we do.”
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“Natural torch” is a description of that reported practice, not a measured claim that one mushroom or bamboo stem matches an electric flashlight. The cited sources provide no brightness measurement or flashlight comparison.
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The reason is not established for this species. The Indian Express reported two possibilities raised by scientists: light could attract insects that help disperse spores, or deter animals that eat fungi. These are hypotheses, not confirmed explanations for R. phyllostachydis.
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Where else has a similar fungus been reported?
A 2023 note in the Journal of Threatened Taxa reported a fungus encountered during night surveys in Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh, as Roridomyces cf. phyllostachydis. The authors based that qualified identification on morphology and photographic comparison with published literature and treated it as a new distribution record. The “cf.” means the identification is tentative; it should not be conflated with the Meghalaya species description, which used morphological evidence and molecular phylogeny. Read the Namdapha record.
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What is not known from these reports?
- Brightness: no measured light output is reported, so the glow cannot be quantified or reliably compared with a torch.
- Ecological purpose: insect attraction and animal deterrence remain proposed explanations.
- Edibility: the news report says residents did not eat it because they did not know whether it was edible. These sources do not establish whether it is edible or poisonous.
- Current global count: the Indian Express gave a figure of 97 known bioluminescent fungi in 2020, but that dated report does not establish a current authoritative count.
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