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| Jack O'Lantern mushroom |
Just in time for the spooky holiday, educator Sabrina DeVault discovered a Jack O'Lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olearius by some, Omphalotus illudens by others) growing at the Homesite.
As the name suggests, this jack-o'-lantern is an orange- to yellow-gill mushroom that to an untrained eye appears similar to some chanterelles, and is most notable for its bioluminescent properties, perhaps a by-product of its metabolism. A fresh cut specimen is said to glow eerily in a dark room. Something I've yet to test. However, unlike the chanterelle, the Jack o'Lantern mushroom is indeed poisonous.
So witchy-poos and goblins and headless horsemen alike, you better watch out.
Boo! Trick or treat.
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