Black light on Hypholoma Species

An example of a fluorescent fungus, Hypholoma sp. Some fungi reflect 365 nm UV light in a special way, causing them to glow yellow, green, or blue when exposed to it. It's not fully understood how or why some fungi do this. Knowing whether a fungus is fluorescent can be diagnostic for identification, plus it looks cool! Specimen found on the Blue Trail at the Long Ridge Conservation Area, Sullivan, Missouri.