Mushrooming is a big business as well as a popular pastime, so if you live outside of the U.S., a quick internet search will probably turn up tons of resources for your part of the world. I'm not ready to try this yet!Īll of the resources mentioned are for North America, which is where I live. Stalk (or stipe): Is there a stipe? If so, what is the length, shape, color, and texture (brittle, fibrous, soft, slimy, scaly, webbed or reticulated, etc)? Is there a ring (annulus), and if so, how is it shaped? Is there a cup? Does the stalk bruise or turn a color when scraped? When picked, is there a “tap root” (rhizomorph)? Is it hollow inside? Digging around the base with a spoon or sharp stick will help keep the mushroom intact while allowing measurements of the stem and base along with any attached mycelium.ĭoes it have a distinct smell? Some fungi fanatics even taste a small portion, spitting it out so it can't (supposedly) cause any harm. Under the cap (or hymenophore): Does the specimen have gills, pores, or teeth? If gills, are the gills tightly packed or sparse? Do the gills continue down the stalk? If pores, are they large or small tight, sparse, or in a pattern? Do the gills bruise or release a liquid when touched or pressed? If possible, try to make a spore print. Test whether it bruises (changes colors) or releases a liquid (called bleeding or weeping) or a powder when scraped, punctured, or broken. The cap (or pileus): What is its surface texture (wet, dry, scaly, corrugated, etc)? Is there a veil or partial veil? Note the cap’s shape including the shape of its margin (or rim) and the cap's color pattern and markings. Below are important features to pay attention to. Though mushrooms and fungi can vary widely, the most notable mushroom shape has a handful of standard, easily identifiable parts. To determine a mushroom's true size, it's often necessary to dig around the base and uncover its bulb or end. ![]() Note cap (or pileus) diameter and height along with the length and width of the stem (or stape), plus the height of the entire mushroom. What trees are overhead? How moist is the environment? Is there one mushroom or multiples? If there are multiples, are they attached at the base or distinctly separate? ![]() ![]() If it is growing on wood, try to identify the type of tree and whether the tree is dead or alive. If it’s growing in soil, note what type (sand, clay, loam, etc) and if the soil is wet, moist, or dry. Pay attention to what the mushroom is growing on or in- wood, grass, leaf litter, or dirt. Just don’t eat unless you are absolutely, 100-percent sure of what you are doing!įirst thing to note is the date and time along with the mushroom’s location and lighting conditions (partial shade, full sun, etc). Growth rate depends upon species, but the fungi’s fruit can change dramatically within a matter of hours and are often in a state of decay by day two or three.Ĭheck conservation laws in your area just to make sure, but as long as that isn’t an issue, feel free to pick, handle, and explore to your fungi-loving heart’s delight. However, my intentions aren't altogether pure- mainly I want to continue to study its life cycle. Regardless, I'll often leave the mushroom unharmed unless there are multiples. Just as you can’t harm an apple tree by picking an apple, you can’t hurt the mycelium by plucking a mushroom. When picking and handling mushrooms, only the fruit is disturbed, not the plant itself which stays happy and intact under the surface of the soil. The mycelium appears as the mushroom’s “roots,” but it’s really the main part of the organism, and it lives completely underground. Even the most poisonous species of mushroom won’t hurt you unless you consume it, and the chances of disturbing or destroying an extremely rare species of fungus is nearly nonexistent. ![]() However, when studying mushrooms, it’s important to get your hands dirty. Usually when I am in the field observing, I try to interfere as little as possible with nature.
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