Try wrapping them in wet paper towels or newspapers overnight before putting them down on foil, paper or glass to make a spore print. Also, the mushrooms can often live a long time after they produce and disperse their spores.

Some polypores take a long time to mature and produce spores.

If the mushroom is hard, it is more difficult to obtain spore prints from polypores growing on trees or logs. If the mushroom has a stem and is soft and fresh, such as a bolete (see pictured above ) the spores will be inside the pores underneath the cap. The spores will fall on the paper, foil or glass, making a spore print pattern. Put a drop of water on the top of the cap to help release the spores.Р”В¬over the cap with a paper cup, glass, or bowl and leave for 2-24 hours, depending on the humidity and the freshness of the mushroom. Mushrooms with gillsРІР‚в„ў spores lie on the gill surface.Р”Р‡irst, cut off the stem and place the cap, with the gills facing down, on a piece of aluminum foil, a white piece of paper, an index card or a glass microscope slide. Just scrape them into several drops of water and then doodle on!

Ink caps specifically (Coprinus comatus or other Coprinus species) will drop a surprising amount of black spores: leaving them overnight could provide you with enough to make ink.

It can make for a neatР’В card for your nerdy mycophilie friends or some artistic inspo for your next creation.

Place the cap of the mushroom on card stock or colored paper without covering the cap, and just see what happens.

If youРІР‚в„ўre feeling *artsy*, you canР’В РІР‚СљfloatРІР‚Сњ down the mushroom onto the paper in different patterns from the air current in the room.

If you already know the color of the spores of your mushroom, you can pick a colored paper that will highlight the spore color.

Paper can be problematic for storing long term due to spores binding with the fibers or the potentialityР’В of mites wanting to munch on your spores.

You can print on many mediums, includingР’В aluminum foil, a white piece of paper, an index card or a glass microscope slide.Р’В Aluminum foil is a popular choiceР’В becauseР’В it is lightweight, durable,Р’В and considerablyР’В sterile.

After printing, the spore print needs to dry (any condensation left will promote bacteria). The bowl alsoР’В aidsР’В in protecting the area around the cap from dust and other airborne spores. Mushrooms are 90 perfect water, containing ampleР’В moisture best preservedР’В placing a cup or bowl over the cap during the printing process.

Try to maintainР’В humidity to achieve a thick, dark spore print.

The older the cap, the fewer the spores and a higher likelihood contamination from other of bacteria /fungi or insects being present.

If you have the option, useР’В the freshest caps or cleanest specimens.

Do everything you can to minimize contamination from other fungi spores or bacteria!

You want to maintain cleanliness and sterilityР’В as much as possible.

When collecting mushrooms for prints out in the field,Р’В you can take along some sheets of aluminum foil in your collecting basket, place the mushroom cap on the foil, and enclose it, together with the rest of the mushroom, in the foil.

Here are some things to note before you go about making a print: Spore color can range from white to black and many shades in between. On a mature mushroom, thousands and thousands of spores grow on just one gill of the mushroom (and non-gilled mushrooms have their own distinctР’В methodР’В of releasingР’В spores). Upon landing, this single cell (spore) sends out 'hyphae' or fibers that as a collective we refer to asР’В 'mycelium.' Mycelium's job is toР’В help gather food andР’В materializeР’В the fungus. When the spores of a mushroom are released, theyР’В can travel a considerableР’В distance before they land. Cool.Р’В ) On their own, spores are teeny-tinyР’В and can only be seen with a microscope.Р’В СЂСџвЂќВ¬ Don't even think about it, justР’В keep chillin. If you just tried to rub them off, they're still there. Mushrooms are actively ejecting spores all of time (even if you're just chillin' reading this on your couch, you have spores on you right now. The spore of a mushroom holdsР’В all of the geneticР’В material required to form a new fungus. Like collectingР’В seeds from plants, you can collect spore prints of mushrooms you've foraged to aid in yourР’В identification sleuthing.Р’В СЂСџвЂўВµРїС‘РЏРІР‚РЊРІв„ўР‚РїС‘РЏР’В Mycologists use spore size, shape and color to help identify an unknown species of mushroom. Make your own spore print What's a spore?Р”Р„Р’В spore is like a seed for fungi.

Mushroom spore print