John Miller
Recognising mushrooms is a fun and useful skill to have, especially if you enjoy foraging for wild mushrooms. There are several ways to identify mushrooms, including using identification apps, books, and field guides. However, it's important to note that identification involves more than just colour and size; characteristics such as shape, texture, habitat, and fruiting also play a crucial role. Additionally, some mushrooms exhibit chemical reactions when exposed to certain substances, while others are distinguished by microscopic features. When examining a mushroom, it is recommended to take photos from various angles, including the top-down view, the side view, and the underside of the cap, as these can provide important diagnostic criteria. While apps like iNaturalist can offer initial identification suggestions, further research and verification are always necessary, especially if you plan to consume the mushrooms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Visual Examination | Take photos from three views: Bird's Eye View, Bunny's Eye View, and Bug's Eye View. |
| Physical Examination | Observe size, shape, texture, and color. |
| Habitat | Note the surroundings, including the type of forest, nearby plants, and growth pattern (clustered or individual). |
| Smell and Taste | Some mushrooms have a distinct smell or taste, which can help identify them or distinguish them from poisonous varieties. |
| Microscopic Characteristics | Some mushrooms have unique microscopic features, such as spores with specific colors or shapes. |
| Chemical Reactions | Certain mushrooms exhibit chemical reactions when exposed to particular substances. |
| Identification Tools | Utilize guidebooks, field guides, identification charts, and online resources like iNaturalist for reference and initial suggestions. |
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What You'll Learn
Physical examination
When it comes to identifying mushrooms, a physical examination is key. This involves observing the mushroom's physical characteristics, such as its colour, texture, size, and proportion. For example, the top of the cap may be dark brown with a hint of purple, and the underside of the cap may have bright yellow pores. The stipe, or stem, might be yellow with streaks of magenta to red, fading to tan closer to the base.
It is also important to take note of the mushroom's location, including the substrate and any nearby tree species or other mushrooms. This information, along with the season in which the mushroom has appeared, can provide valuable clues about its species. Taking multiple photographs from different angles, such as a Bird's Eye View, a Bunny's Eye View, and a Bug's Eye View, can help capture these details and aid in identification.
Once you have collected the mushroom, it is important to clean it to ensure that no colours or other details are missed. Cutting it open can also reveal whether it bruises or not, and taking a spore sample can provide additional information. A spore print test is a crucial step in differentiating hallucinogenic mushrooms from their toxic lookalikes.
Using tools such as a magnifying glass or loupe can help you examine the mushroom's microscopic features, such as the cap's surface texture, the gill attachment to the stem, and spore-covered areas. High zoom levels, such as 10x magnification, can help you observe the wavy edges or minute colour changes that are specific to certain mushroom species. Recording detailed observations and notes will enable you to cross-reference your findings with identification resources.
Chemical tests, such as Melzer's reagent, potassium hydroxide, and iron salts, can also be used to aid in mushroom identification. These tests involve applying the chemical to the flesh of the mushroom and observing any colour changes. For example, the white flesh of Boletus chrysenteron stains lemon-yellow or olive when tested with iron salts. Schaeffer's test, which uses the reaction of aniline and nitric acid, produces an orange to red colour characteristic of species in the section Flavescentes.
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Photo identification
Photographing mushrooms from different angles can aid in their identification. A bird's-eye view is the top-down perspective, which is usually the first thing you see when spotting a mushroom. A bunny's-eye view involves photographing the mushroom from its side, and a bug's-eye view captures the underside of the cap, which is often crucial for identification.
When photographing mushrooms, it is important to capture details such as the colour, shape, and texture of the cap and stem, as well as any distinctive features like pores, ridges, or a spongy surface. The presence of gills or their absence is also an important factor to consider. Additionally, the habitat of the mushroom, such as whether it is growing on tree stumps, in grass, or in wooded areas, can provide valuable contextual information for identification.
Some mushrooms have distinct characteristics that can aid in identification. For example, the Agrocybe mushrooms are typically small to medium-sized with brown spore prints and dry caps, and they can grow on grass, wood chips, or in woods. Mushrooms in the Galerina genus have a conical to bell-shaped cap and slender stalk, often growing on tree stumps. The Hypholoma genus is characterised by reddish-brown caps and crowded gills, often found in clusters on stumps or debris of broad-leaf trees.
While photo identification can provide a good starting point for mushroom identification, it is important to exercise caution. Apps and online resources may provide inaccurate suggestions, and eating mushrooms based solely on photo identification can be dangerous. It is always recommended to cross-reference with other identification methods, such as spore prints and field guides, especially if you intend to consume the mushrooms.
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Habitat and fruiting
Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. They develop from a nodule, or pinhead, less than two millimetres in diameter, called a primordium, which is typically found on or near the surface of the substrate. The primordium enlarges into a roundish structure of interwoven hyphae, resembling an egg, called a "button".
Mushrooms are sensitive to climate and weather changes. They generally prosper in environments with sufficient moisture, mild temperatures, and elevated humidity. Rainy periods followed by a shift in temperature can be especially fruitful for mushroom growth, while overly arid or extreme temperature conditions might inhibit them. Mushrooms can be found all year round, but individual species have their preferred fruiting periods. Some, such as certain winter mushrooms, thrive in the cold, while others, like the reishi and pink oysters, favour the warmth of summer. Most mushrooms find the moderate conditions of autumn and spring particularly conducive to growth.
Mushrooms rely on a range of substrates for nutrition, extracting their sustenance from sources like decaying wood, organic-rich soil, and even certain types of plastic. They can also be found growing on living trees, insects, grains and grass seeds, mosses, and the remains of decaying animals. Wild mushrooms that fruit on the ground and have a symbiotic relationship with nearby trees are referred to as mycorrhizal fungi. In a mycorrhizal relationship, the fungal mycelium joins the roots of the host tree, giving the fungus access to carbohydrates and the tree a larger surface area to absorb water and nutrients.
When identifying mushrooms, it is important to look at the surrounding habitat as well as the mushroom itself. Mushrooms will often fruit in areas where the ground is moist but not soaking wet, and where there is decaying matter such as leaf litter and pieces of rotting wood. Saprotrophic mushrooms feed on dead organic material and are often found on dead logs and ground material. Certain species will fruit in areas where the ground has been disturbed, for example, after a forest fire, near old washes, or around other areas of erosion. The condition of the soil or ground is important, as certain species appear under certain soil conditions. For example, the morel mushroom fruits in areas where the soil contains more lime.
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Macroscopic features
The book 'How to Identify Mushrooms to Genus I: Macroscopic Features' by David L. Largent and Daniel E. Stuntz is a great resource for learning about the macroscopic features used to identify mushrooms. It includes an illustrated chart that categorises different types of mushrooms according to their general appearance and spore colour. The book also provides descriptions of the Friesian genera and a list of modern genera.
- Size: Note the dimensions of the mushroom, including its diameter and height.
- Colour: Observe the colour of the cap, stem, and gills, as these can vary among different species.
- Texture: Describe the texture of the cap and stem, such as whether they are smooth, bumpy, or wrinkled.
- Shape: Pay attention to the overall shape of the mushroom, including the shape of the cap and stem. For example, the caps of chanterelle mushrooms are slightly vase-shaped.
- Habitat: Take note of the environment where the mushroom was found, such as the type of forest or terrain. For instance, chanterelles are often found on the ground at the edge of trails in mixed hardwood forests.
- Smell and taste: Some mushrooms have distinct smells and tastes that can aid in identification. Chanterelles, for example, have a slightly fruity or flowery scent.
- Underside features: The underside of the cap can provide crucial diagnostic information. For instance, the presence of pores instead of gills can indicate membership in the family Boletaceae.
It is important to remember that mushroom identification requires careful examination of multiple factors, and it is always recommended to verify identifications with expert sources before consuming any foraged mushrooms.
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Microscopic characteristics
Mushrooms are the spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi. They typically grow above ground or on top of their food source, such as on a log or the side of a mossy tree. A mushroom has a stem (called a stipe) and a cap, along with gills. The underside of the cap is often where spores are formed, called the hymenial layer. The gills of the mushroom are often examined under a microscope to identify the mushroom classification.
The most important microscopic feature for the identification of mushrooms is the spores. A mushroom's spores colour, shape, size, attachment, and reaction to chemical tests often lead to identification. The colour of spores can be determined by creating a spore print. This involves laying the cap of a fresh mushroom on a sheet of paper and waiting a couple of hours. The mushroom will release spores, leaving a spore print on the paper.
To examine spores under a microscope, a spore print or spore syringe can be used. Spore syringes are a liquid solution that contains suspended spores. To prepare a microscope slide, place a single drop of the spore solution onto a clean microscope slide. Avoid using too much liquid as it can make the sample difficult to view. If using a spore print, use a sterilised instrument to carefully scrape some spores onto the slide. It is important to keep the workspace sterile when working with spores, especially if you intend to cultivate them later.
When studying basidiomycetes under a microscope, you are not limited to spore size and shapes. You can also investigate various kinds of cystidia. These are hyphal structures that stand out from various surfaces. Depending on where they occur, they are given different names: pleurocystidia occur on gill faces, cheilocystidia are those on the gill edges, pileocystidia occur on the cap surface, and caulocystidia are those found on the stem of the mushroom. The shapes of cystidia in each of these locations may differ and these differences can help differentiate between species.
Additionally, the cap or gill surfaces of some mushrooms change colour when contacted by KOH. They can turn yellow, red, magenta, olive, or black, depending on the species. This colour reaction can contribute to the identification process.
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Frequently asked questions
There are many ways to identify mushrooms, including their caps, stems, gills, shape, texture, and colour. Some mushrooms display a chemical reaction when exposed to certain substances, while others are distinguished by microscopic characteristics.
There are many resources available to help identify mushrooms, including online guides and identification charts, as well as books such as "Mushrooms: How to Identify and Gather Wild Mushrooms and Other Fungi" and "How to Identify Mushrooms to Genus I: Macroscopic Features".
It is important to remember that mushroom identification takes practice and there is more to it than just colour and size. It is also crucial to never eat any mushroom based solely on information from the Internet or other sources.
One example of mushroom identification is the chanterelle, which can be recognised by its wrinkled folds, or "false gills", its vase-shaped cap, and orange-yellow stem. Another example is the "Old Man of the Woods" mushroom, which has unique characteristics that make it stand out.
When taking photos of a mushroom for identification purposes, it is ideal to get three views: the Bird's Eye View (top-down), the Bunny's Eye View (from the side), and the Bug's Eye View (underside of the cap).
