Making Spore Prints

[Michigan Mike]

Making Spore Prints
by Michael Kuo (http://www.mushroomexpert.com/contributors.html#kuo)
While a single mushroom spore can't be seen by the naked eye,
a pile of many spores can--and the color of a mushroom's spores,
seen en masse, is a crucial identification feature.
Obtaining a mushroom's "spore print" is therefore an essential step
in the identification process.

In order to make a spore print at home, you will need to have a
relatively mature mushroom. Buttons, young mushrooms, and
mushrooms with some kind of a covering over their gills or pores
(a partial veil (http://www.mushroomexpert.com/glossary.html#partial_veil)) are not likely to drop spores in order to make a print.

The rest of the information for this can be found here.
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/spore_print.html (http://www.mushroomexpert.com/spore_print.html)

[RippinLipp]

Nice job MM
For the begginer shroomer like me, theres some important info there that will help ID some shrooms. I've collected Morels for many many years, but I'm now starting to pick others. Oysters, Chants, Chickens, and this fall Shaggys.

Thanks for all the info, you and all the other shroomers here share. You guys have helped me alot!!

[Michigan Mike]

No problem.

I remember someone had come up with a good idea a few years ago
to just go to paintbrush and make half the page black and the other white
and just print some of.
Then simply put the shroom in the center and cover.
Takes care of the problem if the shroom has a light vs a dark print.
Natural light is best to see the color imo.

Kuo mentions using glass and then putting dark or white paper
under it and is a great idea, but I still prefer paper since
I sometimes like to tag and save them.

mike

[bigsablemike]

No problem.

I remember someone had come up with a good idea a few years ago
to just go to paintbrush and make half the page black and the other white
and just print some of.
Then simply put the shroom in the center and cover.
Takes care of the problem if the shroom has a light vs a dark print.
Natural light is best to see the color imo.

Kuo mentions using glass and then putting dark or white paper
under it and is a great idea, but I still prefer paper since
I sometimes like to tag and save them.

mike


ive only done it once but i used a piece of black and a piece of white constuction paper.
50/50 like you said.just easier than painting.

[Michigan Mike]

Sounds good Mike and I used to use construction paper too.
With the basic paintbrush program on most computers, 6 clicks
of the mouse button and print off 20 copies of half and half
was much simplier for me.
But if someone doesnt have a printer, the other way is
good too.

mike