These chocolate brown meadow mushroom spore prints were made with meadow mushrooms growing in our yard and pastures (Lookout CA) following recent rains.

Do not eat that “meadow mushroom” if its spore print is white!! The spore print is valuable because Aminitas all have a white spore print while the meadow mushroom has a chocolate-brown print. For example: Several of the most deadly or hallucinogenic mushrooms ( Aminitas) can easily be confused with some members of Agaricus, a genus that includes both the cultivated mushroom and the edible meadow or field mushroom ( Agaricus campestris). Identification guides generally suggest that a spore print always be taken if the mushrooms are to be eaten.

Spore color is necessary for the identification of many mushrooms. After several hours or overnight there should be a spore print. Place the cap on a piece of white paper with the gills or pores facing down and cover with a glass or bowl to prevent air currents. To make a spore print cut the stalk (stipe) off of the mushroom cap close to the base. However masses of spores are visible in a spore print. Each individual spore is too small to see with the naked eye. Spore color is more constant and less affected by the environment. Thus the color of a mushroom and its gills (or pores) can vary. Animals and Pets Anime Art Cars and Motor Vehicles Crafts and DIY Culture, Race, and Ethnicity Ethics and Philosophy Fashion Food and Drink History Hobbies Law Learning and Education Military Movies Music Place Podcasts and Streamers Politics Programming Reading, Writing, and Literature Religion and Spirituality Science Tabletop Games. Mushroom color is influenced by environmental factors and age. A spore print provides information about spore color if a microscope is not available. The size, shape and ornamentation of spores are determined through microscopic examination. Mushroom spores (reproductive unit) provide information both macroscopically and microscopically.

Spore print art