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Recording shapes, sizes, and colours
Recording shapes, sizes, and colours
Shapes, textures and colours are useful for identifying fungi. These need to be recorded with fungi in their fresh condition.
Main features of mushroom fungi:
Cap and stem: size, shape, colour,
surface texture and moisture.
Gills: colour, how attached to the stem.
Partial veil: (ring or covering over gills): presence or absence, form.
Universal veil: (patches on cap or cup at base of stem): presence or absence, form.
Flesh: colour, texture, reaction to bruising.
Odour and taste:
Spore print colour:
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A native species of Amanita
from the Australian woodlands showing
some of the features of mushroom fungi. |
Main features of truffle fungi:
Fruit body: size, shape, colour.
Skin (peridium): thickness, layers, surface texture and
moisture, reaction to bruising.
Internal fertile tissue (gleba): colour, texture, size and orientation of chambers and if these are full or empty.
Sterile tissue (columella): presence or absence, form.
Sterile base: presence or absence, form, basal mycelium or rhizoids.
Chemical reactions: 15% KOH, 10% FeSO4, others.
Odour and taste:
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A native truffle of the genus Quadrispora, cut in half and showing
some of the main structures. |
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A native truffle of the genus Gymnomyces.
It does not have a columella or
sterile base. Note: two of the truffles shown are cut in
half. |
TIP: Fresh colours of fungi may dull or
change due to bruising soon after picking. Other distinctive characters may disappear quickly, such as odours.
For a diagram of fungal parts see University of Michigan kids page,
Royal
Botanic Gardens, Melbourne or the older style
diagram by Jim Willis. For diagrams and explanations see chapter 5
of the book "Fungi of Southern Australia" by Bougher and Syme
detailed in the reference section.
A note on colours: Mycologists
often use professional colour charts to describe colours of fungi.
However these are expensive and difficult to obtain. It is
sufficient to describe colours as best you can e.g. light brown, vivid
red; or by relating to common objects e.g. ripe fig red, pale sky blue.
The point is to be consistent and if relating to a object choose one
that doesn't vary much.
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