Photonectria splendura, from Latin photon (light) and nectria (fungi genus), with splendura (brilliance), is a bioluminescent fungus endemic to tropical caves. It features an arboreal-form fruiting body up to 15 cm tall, with translucent, gelatinous stacked caps and finely veined gills emitting warm golden light contrasting with bluish stipes and substrate. Bioluminescence (420–490 nm) arises from specialized luciferin-luciferase reactions in gills and cap margins. Thriving on decaying wood in cool (5–15 °C), humid microhabitats, it acts as a key decomposer. Taxonomically in Nectriaceae, genus Photonectria, order Hypocreales, it disperses airborne basidiospores from gills. Its extensive mycelium supports nutrient cycling, highlighting its specialized ecological niche and adaptation to subterranean environments.
Name
BIOME LUMINA #754/1000
Owner
0x0220e0b5a23bf2419e643De74649A01BF77960EE
ID#754
Rarity
MID:26%
MUSEUM
DATALAND
X-LO:MIN
YEAR
2025
X-LO:MIN
COLLECTION
DATALAND FOUNDING COLLECTION
X-LO:MIN
SPECIES NAME
PHOTONECTRIA SPLENDURA
EX:MAX
CLUSTER
ARBOREAL AURANTICA