Lightcap

Lightcap

The Lightcap mushroom is a commonly seen mushroom in caves and asteroids throughout the galaxy. Native to the mountain caves of Binquaros the Lightcap mushroom has been spread via spores on freighter cargo throughout the galaxy.

Taxonomy

Like other mushrooms, the Lightcap uses mycelia to feed on dead and decaying organic material. It is more than willing to cannibalize other Lightcaps once they die. Known to science as Ferrotsje gomba, the Lightcap takes its name from the soft white light it produces. The Lightcap itself produces no light. Instead, it houses tiny microorganisms known as valolamppu. The valolamppu and the Lightcap are in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship. The Lightcap provides the valolamppu with shelter and share some nutrients with them. In return, the valolamppu produce a potent neurotoxin which is absorbed into the tissues of the Lightcap, making it toxic to predators. The light produced by the valolamppu is not terribly bright, but when huge clumps of Lightcaps grow together, they act like natural lamps, lighting up cave systems and making them much safer to explore.

Gardening and Uses

The Lightcap requires complete darkness to grow. As such, it is not found in normal gardens. However, it does have uses in both horticulture and public safety. Lightcaps are frequently used in science labs to provide natural light when artificial light is impractical or impossible. Governments of planetwide cities such as Coruscant also employ the Lightcap on the lowest levels and underlevels of the city, to provide an alternative to street lamps which are expensive to repair and power. Naturalist societies frequently plan Lightcaps in caves as a natural solution to spelunking. Research is currently underway on the valolampuu as well, to find a way to augment their light capablilities to further increase the Lightcaps usefulness.