Foxfire, also called fairy fire and

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...

fire, is the

bioluminescence Bioluminescence is the emission of light during a chemiluminescence reaction by living organisms. Bioluminescence occurs in multifarious organisms ranging from marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some Fungus, fungi, microorgani ...

created by some species of

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a

luciferase Luciferase is a generic term for the class of oxidative enzymes that produce bioluminescence, and is usually distinguished from a photoprotein. The name was first used by Raphaël Dubois who invented the words ''luciferin'' and ''luciferase'' ...

, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with a

luciferin Luciferin () is a generic term for the light-emitting chemical compound, compound found in organisms that generate bioluminescence. Luciferins typically undergo an enzyme-catalyzed reaction with Oxygen, molecular oxygen. The resulting transforma ...

. The phenomenon has been known since ancient times, with its source determined in 1823.

Description

Foxfire is the

created by some species of

present in decaying wood. It occurs in a number of species, including '' Panellus stipticus'', '' Omphalotus olearius'' and '' Omphalotus nidiformis''. The bluish-green glow is attributed to

, which emits light after oxidation catalyzed by the enzyme

. Some believe that the light attracts insects to spread spores, or acts as a warning to hungry animals, like the bright colors exhibited by some poisonous or unpalatable animal species. Although generally very dim, in some cases foxfire is bright enough to read by.

History

The oldest recorded documentation of foxfire is from 382 B.C., by

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

, whose notes refer to a light that, unlike fire, was cold to the touch. The Roman thinker

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

also mentioned glowing wood in olive groves. Foxfire was used to illuminate the needles on the barometer and the compass of ''

Turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...

'', an early submarine. This is commonly thought to have been suggested by

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

; a reading of the correspondence from Benjamin Gale, however, shows that Benjamin Franklin was only consulted for alternative forms of lighting when the cold temperatures rendered the foxfire inactive. After many more literary references to foxfire by early scientists and naturalists, its cause was discovered in 1823. The glow emitted from wooden support beams in mines was examined, and it was found that the luminescence came from fungal growth. The "fox" in ''foxfire'' may derive from the Old French word , meaning "false", rather than from the name of the animal.Smythe Palmer, Abram, ''The Folk and Their Word-lore: An Essay on Popular Etymologies'' (1904) The association of foxes with such lights is widespread, however, and occurs also in

Japanese folklore Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, Tradition, customs, and material culture. In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The Folklor ...

in the form of kitsune-bi (狐火 lit. 'Fox's fire/flame').

References

External links

{{Wiktionary
Foxfire: Bioluminescence in the ForestPDF file
by Dr. Kim D. Coder, University of Georgia 8/99

at Mykoweb Bioluminescence Bioluminescent fungi Mycology

Description

History

See also

References

External links