Neonothopanus gardneri, locally known as flor de coco, is a bioluminescent fungus native to Goiás, Piauí and Tocantins states in Brazil.
The fungus was first discovered in 1839 by the English botanist George Gardner, after he came across some youths playing with glowing material in the streets of Villa de Natividade in Goiás state in Brazil.
Initially thinking it was a firefly, he then discovered it was a mushroom—known as Flor de Coco locally—that was common locally and found on decaying palm leaves.
[2] It was rediscovered in February 2005 by scientists Patricia Izar, Elisabetta Visalberghi and Dorothy Fragaszy, with the aid of Marino Gomes de Oliveira.
Measuring 1–9 cm (1⁄2–3+1⁄2 in) wide, the cap is initially convex with a central umbo before becoming flat or even funnel-shaped with age.