Identification

Identifying mushrooms requires a basic understanding of theirmacroscopicstructure. Most areBasidiomycetesand gilled. Their spores, calledbasidiospores, are produced on the gills and fall in a fine rain of powder from under the caps as a result. At the microscopic level the basidiospores are shot offbasidiaand then fall between the gills in the dead air space. As a result, for most mushrooms, if the cap is cut off and placed gillsidedown overnight, a powdery impression reflecting the shape of the gills (or pores, or spines, etc.) is formed (when the fruit body is sporulating). The color of the powdery print, called aspore print, is used to help classify mushrooms and can help to identify them. Spore print colors include white (most common), brown, black, purplebrown, pink, yellow, and creamy, but almost never blue, green, or red.