From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea'' shown
in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white
and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours
showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5 cm glass slide placed in middle
allows for examination of spore chacteristics under a microscope.
The spore print of a mushroom is an important diagnostic character in most handbooks for identifying mushrooms. A spore print is made by placing the spore-producing surface flat on a sheet of dark and white (or just white) paper. The mushroom is left overnight in this manner. When the mushroom is removed, the color of the spores should be visible on the paper. Incorporating a glass slide allows for examination of spores under a microscope, or moving the spore print to a darker or lighter surface for good contrast.
One rule of thumb for determining if a mushroom is poisonous is a resulting spore print that is green. While most poisonous mushrooms do not have a green spore print, 99.5% of mushroom species with green spores are poisonous.
- See also: mushroom hunting
