Honey Fungus

Armillaria mellea is an edible basidiomycete fungus in the honey fungus genus Armillaria, part of a cryptic species complex of closely related and similar-looking species. It is a plant pathogen that causes Armillaria root rot in many plant species, producing mushrooms around the base of infected trees and showing itself in discoloured foliage, reduced growth and dieback of branches; its mycelium is also capable of producing light through bioluminescence. It is widely distributed across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, usually in heavy soils below about 79 degrees Fahrenheit, typically growing on hardwoods but also found around and on other living and dead wood.