Mushroom season is starting where I live (Alaska). I’m only in my 2nd year of iNatting and would like more info on how to get the best photos for identification (and yes, I did a search on the topic first). I’ve learned from experience that I should at least get top, underside and cross-section photos. Some people reference spore patterns – is that necessary? Also, can I use the same knife on toxic and edible species if I plan to eat the edible ones, or is it best to rinse or wipe the knife or use a separate one? For context, I see many different kinds of mushrooms while hiking in my neighborhood but only a few are ones that I know are edible (boletes, puffballs, shaggy manes). I’m not even sure I should touch some of the others (e.g. Amanita) – should I wear gloves? Some general guidelines would be helpful. Thank you for your help!
Touching any mushrooms is safe unless you have a specific allergy.
The knife doesn’t have to be swapped out, but it should be wiped off between mushrooms to make sure you aren’t causing any staining that affects your ID between species. It should definitely be cleaned just like any knife if you are going to prepare edible mushrooms for eating.
You can get many mushrooms at least to genus-level ID with good, clear photos of the top of the cap, the stipe/stem, underside of the cap, cross section, in situ (mushroom in its habitat), and notes about what plant species are growing nearby, especially trees.
Sometimes the spore print is necessary - more for the color than the pattern. But spore prints are very easy and fun! I usually pop out the glass from a picture frame for the print so I can put it on a white or dark background to see the color.
I don’t want to get too into the foraging aspect as I could go on and on. I do like to tell everyone getting into foraging not to rely on someone else or computer vision (like iNaturalist’s) to identify edible species for you. You should know them well enough to differentiate them from look-similars if any exist in your area. You should also understand all the precautions for preparing the specific mushroom, as different species require different preparations.
I’d add to the ID tips @machi gave, that the inside of some mushroom caps change colour when exposed to air, which can also aid in identification as well as noting down the possible smell, even though these are less for photography, but something to add into the observation’s notes.
Hi ljodwalis as you have noted when photographing fungi for ID capturing multiple views showing all features is very helpful for the identifiers. Here are some links on “how to.”
https://fundis.org/get-started/photograph
https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/3531-documenting-mushrooms
https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/media/fungi-submission.pdf
Using these guidelines will get a better ID sooner.
Enjoy!
This is what naturalists have told me, as well: at least get top, underside and cross-section photos. Spore patterns can be useful, too, if you want to do it.
I was also told that a photo of where the stem meets the cap can be helpful for identification with some species.
At first, I was a little bit shy about disturbing a mushroom. But, a naturalist told me that, if the mushroom is up and the cap is spread, it has done its job of releasing spores. Tipping it over can actually help distribute more spores. So, I feel better about tipping to get photos. (That person actually told me to “give it a really get kick to help spread the spores”.)
I hate to be such a Negative Nancy, but we’re at the point now where the honest answer is, “forget it unless you have a DNA barcoder.” You’ll soon see what I mean as you follow all this advice and still get repeatedly told that it can’t be identified.
Now, with that out of the way, there are ways to better your odds. For one thing, taste. Even poisonous mushrooms can only hurt you if you swallow; for many mushrooms, taking a small piece in your mouth, just long enough to note the taste, and then making sure to spit all of it out can add crucial identification data. Was it bitter? Sour? Nutty? Putting this information in the notes may nudge it from unidentifiable to identifiable the information others have mentioned is present.
Also, some mushroom websites describe chemical tests. Does it change color when exposed to ammonia, KOH, or iron salts? If you conduct these tests (which honestly I never have), put that information in the notes, too.
The nearby trees can be a clue for both parasitic and mycorrhizal species. Some are host-specific, and others are limited either to broadleaf or coniferous trees. This should also go in the notes.
In short, “evidence,” in the iNaturalist sense of the word, can encompass so much more than just photos, and if you want mushrooms identified, non-photographic evidence is sometimes needed.
@machi Thank you so much! This is exactly the kind of information I need. And I’d be happy to get some of my observations ID’d to genus level. Oh, and besides the 3 edibles that I mentioned, I also know and eat morels. I stay away from anything else.
Thank you. I didn’t know about changing colors and I’ll try to remember to use my other senses (smell)!
Thank you! Good tips – and it’s a relief to know that it’s OK to knock them over – I’ve been feeling pretty guilty about that.
Thanks to all who helped with my questions about documenting fungi. I’ve taken your advice to heart and I think I’m getting better at it:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/234644899
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/234584720
and maybe an extreme case because I think there’s a lot of room for confusion: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/236222946
Well done!
And thank you for ID-ing my Smoothish-stemmed Bolete!
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