Ghost Fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis) Liquid Culture Syringe (10cc)
Ghost Fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis) Liquid Culture Syringe (10cc) is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Couldn't load pickup availability
Description
Description
Ghost Fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis) Liquid Culture Syringe (10cc) is the bioluminescent mushroom of the Australian bush. Its creamy, fan-shaped fruit bodies give off a soft green glow from the gills after dark. This culture is poisonous and is sold strictly for science, education and display, never for eating.
- SpeciesO. nidiformis
- Volume10cc
- EdibilityPoisonous
- Best MethodSawdust Bags
- Fruiting Temp60–75°F
What This Culture Is For
Ghost fungus is grown to be studied and admired in the dark. In the wild it fruits in overlapping clusters on stumps and dead wood across southern Australia and Tasmania, and on a dark night the gills light up a pale green. Seeing that glow from a block you grew yourself is the whole reason to run this culture.
Unlike most bioluminescent species, which are tiny, ghost fungus produces full-sized fruit bodies with caps that can spread several inches across. That makes it a strong subject for biology classrooms, science fair projects, macro photography and anyone curious about how fungi produce light. If you would rather keep a glowing jar on a shelf than fruit a sawdust bag, look at our Bioluminescent Panellus liquid culture instead.
Poisonous. Not for consumption. Ghost fungus causes severe vomiting and cramps if eaten, and it looks a lot like an oyster mushroom. Keep fruiting blocks away from children and pets, and never grow it alongside edible oyster crops where the two could be mixed up at harvest.
What's In the Package
- One 10cc liquid culture syringe, sealed and lab-tested
- 16-gauge 1.5" luer lock needle
- Sterile alcohol prep pad
Ghost Fungus Growing Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Omphalotus nidiformis |
| Also Known As | Ghost fungus, ghost mushroom |
| Edibility | Poisonous. Causes severe vomiting and cramps if eaten |
| Native Range | Southern Australia and Tasmania |
| Natural Habitat | Stumps, logs and dead wood, often in overlapping clusters |
| Spawn | Sterilized grain (rye or 5-grain blend) |
| Fruiting Substrate | Supplemented hardwood sawdust bags |
| Colonization Temperature | 65–80°F |
| Fruiting Temperature | 60–75°F |
| Where the Glow Appears | Strongest in the gills, weaker on the cap; visible only in full darkness |
| Best Suited To | Classrooms, science projects, display and night photography |
| Storage | Refrigerate at 35–45°F; do not freeze |
How to Use Your Liquid Culture Syringe
- Let the syringe come to room temperature, then shake it well to break up the mycelium and spread it evenly through the broth.
- Flame-sterilize the needle until it glows orange and let it cool for a few seconds.
- Wipe the injection port on a sterilized grain spawn bag or grain jar with the alcohol prep pad.
- Inject 5–7cc into a 32oz grain jar, or the full syringe into a grain spawn bag. Incubate at 65–80°F and shake the grain once it reaches about 30% colonized.
- When the grain is fully colonized, mix it into a supplemented hardwood sawdust bag and let it colonize again at 65–80°F.
- Move the colonized block to fruiting conditions at 60–75°F. Once fruit bodies form, take them into a fully dark room and give your eyes several minutes to adjust before looking for the glow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ghost fungus poisonous?
Yes. Omphalotus nidiformis contains illudin S, a toxin that causes severe vomiting and stomach cramps if eaten. This culture is sold strictly for science, education and display. Do not eat any part of the mushroom, and keep fruiting blocks out of reach of children and pets.
Why is ghost fungus mistaken for an oyster mushroom?
Its creamy, fan-shaped caps and gills running down a short off-center stem look very similar to an oyster mushroom, and poisoning cases in Australia have come from foragers making exactly that mistake. If you also grow oysters, keep the two crops physically separate and clearly labeled so they can never be mixed up at harvest.
How bright is the ghost fungus glow?
Softer than most people expect. The light comes mainly from the gills, with a weaker glow from the cap, and it is a pale green light rather than a lamp. You need a fully dark room and five to ten minutes for your eyes to adjust before it shows clearly. Photos of glowing ghost fungus are usually long exposures, so judge it against a nightlight rather than against those images.
How do you grow ghost fungus from liquid culture?
Use the syringe to inoculate sterilized grain, let the grain colonize fully at 65-80°F, then mix it into a supplemented hardwood sawdust bag. Once the sawdust is colonized, move it to fruiting conditions at 60-75°F. This strain fruits on supplemented sawdust bags, and that is the method we recommend.
How is ghost fungus different from Bioluminescent Panellus?
Panellus stipticus is a small species most people grow in PF Tek jars and keep as glowing mycelium on a shelf. It is non-edible but not toxic. Ghost fungus is a larger, sawdust-fruiting species grown for its glowing gills, and it is poisonous. It suits growers who already run grain-to-sawdust bags and want a fruiting project.
Do I need a flow hood or still air box to use liquid culture?
A still air box is strongly recommended and a laminar flow hood is better still. Liquid culture syringes ship sealed and lab-tested, but the moment you pierce an injection port you are exposing the substrate to whatever is in the room air. Working in still air with flame-sterilized tools dramatically improves your success rate.
How should I store the syringe before use?
Keep it refrigerated between 35 and 45°F and never freeze it, because freezing ruptures the cell walls and kills the culture. Store it in the sealed bag it shipped in, away from strong odors. Bring it back to room temperature and shake well before injecting.
Packed to Arrive Alive
A liquid culture syringe is living mycelium, and the trip from our Illinois lab to your door is the part of its life you have the least control over. That is why every Myco Labs liquid culture ships inside a foil-lined insulated mailer rather than a plain envelope. The insulation buffers the syringe against summer heat sitting in a delivery truck and against sub-freezing temperatures in winter, so your culture arrives viable in either extreme.
When it arrives: move the syringe to the refrigerator at 35–45°F until you are ready to inoculate. Never freeze it. Bring it back to room temperature and shake well before use.
