Omphalotus nidiformis (Ghost Fungus)
The fruit bodies of this species are mushrooms. The cap is smooth, fan-shaped to funnel-shaped and up to 30 centimetres in diameter. The cap is dominated by brown to purplish shades, but may be creamy towards the margin. The gills are white and the stem, commonly off-centre or lateral, is white and fairly solid (up to 8 centimetres long, 4 in diameter). The mushrooms usually appear in dense clusters of overlapping caps and grow from dead wood. Often that is obvious, with clusters of caps around a stump, but sometimes the wood is buried and then the mushrooms may appear to be growing on soil.
The fruiting bodies are luminous - see the 3rd sample image for an example of this.
Further references:
- Bioluminescence in the ghost fungus Omphalotus nidiformis does not attract potential spore dispersing insects - IMA Fungus (Journal of the International Mycological Association (IMA))/University of Adelaide
- https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v4/101-forest-fungi/web/resource/o/omphalotus%20nidiformis.htm
- https://fungimap.org.au/omphalotus-nidiformis-ghost-fungus/
Omphalotus nidiformis is listed in the following regions:
Canberra & Southern Tablelands | Southern Highlands | South Coast
Species information
- Omphalotus nidiformis Scientific name
- Ghost Fungus Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-Invasive
- Up to 1509m Recorded at altitude
- Machine learning
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