# Glowing Panellus (*Panellus stipticus*)

The Glowing Panellus is a small mushroom that shines brightly in the dark! It grows on dead trees and adds a touch of magic to the woods.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Epic
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 8
- **Habitat:** Decaying trees in forests
- **Also known as:** Bioluminescent Panellus, Panellus stipticus

![Glowing Panellus](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426586/objects/5145.jpg)

## Appearance

The Glowing Panellus is a small, fan-shaped mushroom, pale tan to yellowish-brown on top, with white to cream gills underneath. It often grows in overlapping clusters on dead wood and is visually distinct for its unique, otherworldly glow at night.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Mycenaceae
- **Genus:** Panellus

## Interesting facts

- If you accidentally chew it, this mushroom tastes incredibly bitter, so don't try it!
- Its eerie green glow is called bioluminescence, just like fireflies in the dark!
- Scientists study this mushroom's glow to understand how nature makes cold light.
- This fungi's glow lasts for days, making it a natural, long-lasting forest night light!

## Special abilities

- **Night Light Power:** Glowing Panellus can create its own ghostly green light using a chemical reaction that helps attract nocturnal insects.
- **Wood Recycler:** Glowing Panellus has special enzymes that help them break down tough dead wood, returning vital nutrients to the forest.
- **Tough Texture:** Glowing Panellus has a leathery cap and stem that helps them survive on logs for longer, even in dry periods.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 0.5-2 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 0.5-3 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** Red Oak (*Quercus rubra*) — Decomposes dead wood, helping recycle nutrients.
- **Depends on:** [Sugar Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sugar-maple) (*Acer saccharum*) — Breaks down fallen branches and logs of this tree.
- **Eaten by:** [Leopard Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — Slugs sometimes graze on the mushroom's fruiting bodies.

## Traits

- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Glowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/glowing): Pertaining to organisms that emit light through bioluminescence or fluorescence.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Glowing Panellus?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Glowing Panellus?

0.5-2 cm

### Is Glowing Panellus edible?

inedible

### How big is Glowing Panellus?

0.5-3 cm

### Where is Glowing Panellus usually found?

Decaying trees in forests

### What does Glowing Panellus grow on?

wood

### When is Glowing Panellus in season?

Fall

### What color are Glowing Panellus spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Coindre Hall Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coindre-hall-park) — New York, US · Park
- [Malcolm Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/malcolm-preserve) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve
- [Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chattanooga-zoo-at-warner-park) — Tennessee, US · Zoo
- [Staten Island Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/staten-island-zoo) — New York, US · Zoo
- [Coleman Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coleman-station-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District
- [Wildpark Bruderhaus](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wildpark-bruderhaus) — Zurich, CH · Zoo

[View all places to see Glowing Panellus](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/glowing-panellus)

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Glowing Panellus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/glowing-panellus)