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Some fungi cannot be identified without a microscope, however those in this blog can be identified using macro characteristics displayed by the fruiting body. Most are umbrella or mushroom shaped with gills on the cap underside. Below are some key characteristics to look out for when identifying: Always keep aside a specimen of anything you collect to eat and if it is a species you have not eaten before then sample just a little—even good edibles can cause upsets in some people (many people can’t eat strawberries or nuts for example). Collect only specimens in good condition; old or rotten specimens will not make a good meal and can cause serious stomach upsets. Prepare Melzer’s reagent by adding 1.5 g iodine, 5 g potassium iodide and 100 g chloral hydrate to 100 ml of water. Warm carefully (do not boil) and stir thoroughly. When added to tissues or spores (especially white spores) en masse, a colour change to dark blue is called an amyloid response; a change to red-brown is dextrinoid; no change is non-amyloid and non-dextrinoid.
Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools - NHBS Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools - NHBS
This guide is destined to be an indispensable authority on the subject for everyone from beginning hobbyists to trained experts, throughout Appalachia and beyond.
Finally, it should be noted if the gills are deliquescing or self-liquefying and turning inky, a characteristic of many species in the genera Coprinus, Coprinopsis, Coprinellus and Parasola. If you have permission to collect for scientific purposes do not abuse it by also collecting to eat.
Books | HFSG
To naturalists who are used to identifying birds and mammals, the study of fungi (rather like the study of some insects and other small creatures, and to a certain extent some plants) requires a rather different approach. This is because relatively few species can be named accurately in the field, other than by the most experienced collectors, and even they almost always find it necessary to collect fruit bodies for close inspection. Most fungi, moreover, require microscopic examination and sometimes simple chemical tests too, either to verify an identification based on superficial characters or, sometimes, to identify them at all. The legality of collectingNote: we cannot stress strongly enough the caution with which you should approach mushroom identification. Some mushrooms are edible, but some are deadly, and identification can be very difficult. As Geoffrey Kibby says below, if in doubt, throw it out!). Last week we published a blog post with advice on purchasing a hand lens, plus a useful comparison chart showing the various lenses you can buy from NHBS. Many species can only be distinguished with certainty by using a microscope to examine their spores and other microscopic structures, or by the application of specific chemicals to produce colour reactions. More technical monographs are needed for these. A small range of chemical reagents will be necessary for use with particular groups of fungi, which cause characteristic colour changes when the chemicals are applied to them (either as macroscopic reactions, visible to the naked eye, or as microscopic effects, to be seen under the microscope). These reagents are shown here, along with details of the various tests. Collection and examination in the field
The NHBS Guide to Fungi Identification
Fungal nutrition is a complex subject but one aspect of it is nonetheless of particular importance in relation to their occurrence in the field. Anyone who has ever collected toadstools will have noted that many, perhaps most, occur in particular types of woodland, beneath particular types of tree or consistently in company with certain types of plant. This is not mere chance, nor the result of two species requiring a similar ecological niche. It is because of an intimate association called a mycorrhiza, which means that under certain circumstances the one cannot exist, or can do so only inadequately, without the other. A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between fungal hyphae and the roots of higher plants, and also, to some extent, of some Pteridophytes (ferns and their allies) and the rhizoids of Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). The fungal mycelium forms an outer sheath around the fine rootlets and this can be seen if the rootlets are examined closely with a lens. Penetration of fungal hyphae into the root is limited and occurs only between the cells of the cortex. Precisely how the mycorrhizal mycelium assists its host plant, and vice versa, is still imperfectly understood, but it seems that the fungus obtains much of its necessary supply of carbon from the roots and, in return, acts as an intermediary in the uptake of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate and potash from the soil. The mycorrhizal fungus seems better able to achieve this uptake, especially from poor soils, than does the plant acting on its own. The naming and classification of fungi I bought this guide because I take photos of fungi during autumn and it is notoriously difficult to identify them. Other fungi books are limited in species so I could never be sure of a correct identification.Many people come into mycology via a desire to try eating something a little more exotic than the shop bought mushroom. There are many edible species and they can have tastes and textures quite unlike the cultivated species. Hunting for edibles can be a wonderful experience but there are several rules to follow if your hunt is to have a happy outcome:
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