Page 219 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

False Gills: Some mushrooms, such as Chanterelles, can obtain some through a mycologist friend, here is
have a wrinkled or ridged spore-bearing surface on how to use it:
the underside of the cap. These can resemble gills if Use a razor blade to scrape some of the spore dust off
they become prominent enough. Unlike gills, however, your mushroom’s spore print. Carefully tap the spore
the wrinkles are not separate structures and they can- dust onto a microscope slide. Add a drop of Melzer’s
not easily be plucked from the cap. solution to your spores.
Pores: Other mushrooms, including those in the Bo- From here, you can observe the spores under a micro-
lete family, have a spongy layer of tubes on the under- scope. (Place a coverslip over the slide and softly tap
side of the cap. The mouths of these tubes resemble away any bubbles. Before reaching the highest magni-
tiny pores. The spores are produced inside the tubes. fication on your microscope, place a drop of immer-
Spines: Hedgehog mushrooms are among the few sion oil on the top of the coverslip.)
fungi that have spore-bearing teeth that hang from If you don’t have a microscope, you will still be able to
the cap’s underside. see any changes in the spore dust’s color by placing
A Note on Chemical Testing the microscope slide on top of a sheet of white paper.
Edible Mushrooms by Type
Chemical testing is another valuable tool for discov-
ering the identity of a mushroom. One of the most Edible mushrooms are divided into 2 large groups:
common chemical tests involves applying Melzer’s re- Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes.
agent to a mushroom’s spores. Ascomycetes are divided into: Morel Mushrooms,
Melzer’s reagent is an iodine solution. Spores that Truffles, Lobster Mushrooms, and Cup Fungi.
turn navy blue on contact with this liquid are called Basidiomycetes are divided into: Gilled Mushrooms,
“amyloid”. Those that don’t change color are “inamy- Bolete Mushrooms, Gilled Boletes, Chanterelles and
loid”. A “dextrinoid” reaction is when a mushroom’s Chanterelle-like Mushrooms, Polypore Mushrooms/
spores change to reddish-brown. Because Melzer’s Bracket Fungi/Shelf Fungi, Club and Coral Mush-
reagent contains the controlled substance, chloral hy- rooms, Toothed/Spined Mushrooms, Puffballs, and
drate, it is not easy for most people to acquire. If you Jelly Fungi.

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