(Macromycetes) (Larger Fungi, Macrofungi)

Curation

Fungal specimens are best preserved by drying.

Most people use gentle warmth which can be as simple as the top of a radiator, although purpose-built driers such as those sold for drying fruit give the best results. Large fleshy species can be placed in the air stream from a fan heater for fast, effective results even with fragile species like inkcaps.

The time taken to dry varies with the method, but can be overnight for small to medium toadstools, or longer for large toadstools or brackets. Large toadstools can become sealed by a dry layer on the outside, but leaving them at room temperature for a day allows the remaining moisture to soften this skin so drying can be resumed

Specimens are dry when they become very light weight. Then it's best to leave them at room temperature for a day to soften up, otherwise they can be very fragile.

Spore prints should be left to dry at room temperature for 10 or 15 minutes. They can then be protected by wrapping in aluminium foil if you wish. They should be kept with the dried specimen.

Dried material keeps reasonably well but is attacked by a variety of pests, especially booklice and mites, and to a lesser extent museum/carpet beetles. Dried material is conventionally stored in paper envelopes, but this gives no protection from insects, so the envelopes need to be stored in batches in sealable plastic bags or boxes. Avoid storing the specimens directly in individual plastic bags as static electricity from handling the bags will make extracting the dried material all but impossible.

Bon, M., 1987	The Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and North-western Europe
Brightman, F.H. & Nicholson, B.E., 1966	The Oxford Book of Flowerless Plants
Courtecuisse, R. & Duhem, B., 1995	Mushrooms & Toadstools of Britain & Europe
Courtecuisse, R., 1999	Mushrooms of Britain and Europe
Dähncke, R.M. & S.M., 1980	700 Pilze in Farbfotos
Leif Goodwin Photography: http://www.leifgoodwin.co.uk/Title%20Page/MainPage.html	Leif Goodwin Photography
Grünert, H. & R., 1991	Field Guide to Mushrooms of Britain and Europe
Hansen, L & Knudsen, H (Eds), 1992	Nordic Macromycetes, Vol 2 (Polyp., Bolet., Agaric., Russ.)
Hansen, L & Knudsen, H, 1997	Nordic Macromycetes, Vol 3. (Hetero., Aphylloph., Gastero.)
Henrici, A., 2002	Update on Roger Phillips' Mushrooms and other fungi of Gt. Britain & Europe, further additions and corrections
Keizer, G., 1997	Encyclopedaedia of Fungi
Laessøe, T. & del Conte, A., 1996	The Mushroom Book
Lange, J.E., 1935	Flora Agaricina Danica (5 volumes)
Lange, M. & Hora, F.B., 1965	Mushrooms and Toadstools
Ludwig, E., 2000	Pilzkompendium - band 1 - abbildungen
Marchand, A., 1971	Champignons du Nord et du Midi (8 volumes)
Orton, P.D., 1960	New Checklist of British Agarics and Boleti, Part III
Orton, P.D., 1964	Notes on British Agarics II
Orton, P.D., 1986	Fungi of Northern Pine and Boreal Woods
Pacioni, G., 1985	Macdonald Encyclopedia of Mushrooms and Toadstool
RogersMushrooms: http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/	RogersMushrooms
Phillips, R., 1981	Mushrooms & other Fungi of Great Britain & Europe
Phillips, R., 2006 (A good number of species.)	Mushrooms
Svrcek, M., 1983	The Hamlyn book of Mushrooms and Toadstools
Microscopy
Watling, R., 1973	Identification of the Larger Fungi

(Macromycetes) (Larger Fungi, Macrofungi)

Subtaxa

Suggested Literature

Identification Works

Microscopy