Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-02-20
LIGHT FROM PLANTS.
ONCE BELIEVED TO BE PURE FANCY,
BUT NOW KNOWN AS REAL.

Trees aud nushr, which Produce woa.
derfal Luminous Enoots-s Some Expert
encc, of Naturaiists Ia Different Parts
Of the world.
Ono Of Tho early naturalists, Mmo.
Mcrian. ! think Describes un oytraof.
binary spectacle which she observed IN
Asia Her party was moving through
forest 40 night whom without warn.
ing largo lightappeafgl. 40 first dim,
70 increased iu size, growing larger and
larger until finally % tro0 was outlined
IA a soft uulutug light
Tho natives wsra demo-al.zrd and ".
fused 90 approach &c. saying &c was tho
ucrld trco Of dro But tho naturalist
had llitlo faith iu ir01s OF nIa nd boo.
vot.mioi &c. finding that Tho light was
duo 90 C0r'aiu inaceis. which, iy Che
way, has mover been observed since
That % tree or plant could give Hight
wa doomcd aFuro Of iho imagination,
yet today II IS known that light giving
plants arou0t uncommon aud among The
most striking and remarkable 0f nat.
ural phonomunn Once iupluuius from
a days hunt through % doop forest iu
tho heart OF che Adifdulsrs region /
stumbled agains, o dead limb ~ q tree.
whom 90 my amagamont was nt onco
surrounded by a silvery light tha' Cow
in an directions. liko darts and arrows
Of fro. each p.1go burning whor1 30 Jay.
This wng an unusually brilliant display
of tho hcst known ~ luminous plants.
Tho "fox nre," or "vitghes' glow" OF
childhood dayl
To tho layman 90 &C. ofion mysterious,
as investigation shows nothing but tho
doc1yod wood. AID sometimes 70 soft,
pulpy mass. Tho b0'aulat will soon
point out Tho light rivur in tho myce.
Hum Of some fungus that has p0rmolfod
The old branch aud fairly tal,On p0.ar1.
sion Of H.. converting 10 into % glorious
spectacle whom disturbed. Tho vivid.
ness of tho light may Boo estimated whom
IL IS known that print can often bo read
by Il. and tho light % SOME has hoou
known 90 penetrate through several
thicknc scs ~ paper
Singular 30 auy, tho smallest plant 10
ofton tho means Of producing tho greatest
luminous effects This is tho dilt0m.
which the naturalist OF tho Challenger
found floating IN ihsoconn in vast mum.
bors, and ns tho nucleus OF tho diHtom
ii otton brilliantly ph0 ph0rwemt some
of tho most remarkable disrluys OF light
observed by the nntumllsts wcr' oaca.
stoned by thos, lItllo plants But what
shall We say 90 % sight observed By
Norwegian bark in tho bay OF runchnls
Tho watorl hcIo aro fairly nlivo with
those littlo luminous plants tho year
round, and on tho occasion referred 20
q waiorspout formed among thom Dur.
ing tho day IL would hpy0 attracted ne.
Ito attention. ns the phenomenon So
common one, but the crcw of thu ship
woro suddenly confronted nt night uy
literal pillar Of drsor light that cKtoud.
cd upward TO u distance seemingly ~
1000 feet aud moved along with do.
C,dod bend
i emitted pnlo yellow light th,rt
stood ont In strong roliof against tho
black night, . weird and formidable
spectacle, rushing ouboioro thn wind
80 AaAAHAAHN NWNNN HANAHNH MN"NNHk NN I'VE
toniah soua natives in "a wild part N
Asia In which ho was travelling and
impress Thorn with bis supernatural
powers, secured acortain vino known as
Euphorhia phosphmon, and rubbing 10
upon big rock caused tho latter 10
RlOam with nanio aud ptDspBt BOZ no.
marsnblo % spectacle that tho usiyUs
ran, believing that ho had sct tho rock
nnro by simply touching &C. Tho natu.
ralist was aware that tho milky juice NJ
this plant, that rusgmhlod tho dludoli.
on, was brilliantly ph1aphorcscunt
In tho llarz mountains thgrO has boon
for ngus % cayo known as tho haunted
cavern An EugIi.bmu. travelling In
tho vicinity and hearing OF it. dotor.
mined 90 investigate thomystory. Aftnr
% long climb no reached tho cave 30
sooner did complete darinU fUt Inc than
tho phantom 1f tb0 cayo apnHntod-a
remarkable lcmhI1nco onhumlu form,
with arms outsprad, outlined against
the gloom Making Ma way to tho Ag.
uro that had alarmed 30 many waylu.
ori, 10 found thnt 10 was plant that
grew upon tho wall. 10 was tho we'll
known phogphurncuni fungus. RhIzo.
mo'pha bublouauOn, frequently found
IN caves and familiar TO minors lu
light is often 30 vivid that people have
read by &C.
These curious lights orc not found ia
tho tropics alone. Some years ago Mr..
Morrell, oditur Of tho Gardiner MOI
journal, wrote me that hohad observed
o brilliant stOldy light in his garden nt
timcs, totally uuaooountyd Tor by mo.
chauical conuIvmro and which, upon
investigation, proved TO DO tho pho5.
phorOgcut light omitted by tho young
Of tho plant riguus stydtiCus
Perhaps tho most startling cyhihiti1n
was observed sevoul years n-o by au