Mycological Society of America

On Preparing Fleshy Fungi for the Herbarium

Author(s): Bernard Lowy
Source: Mycologia, Vol. 50, No. 3 (May - Jun., 1958), pp. 442-444
Published by: Mycological Society of America
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3756081
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442 MYCOLOGIA,VOL. 50, 1958

a similarassociationof sporesin the stomachcontentsof severalwhite-

footeddeer mice and meadow voles trappedthat summerin Saskat-
chewan.
Field mice and otherrodentsare knownto feed upon a varietyof
fungi. It is also known that some mucors not only parasitizeother
membersof the Mucorales but also parasitize the fruitingbodies of
largerfungi.3 In the lightof the observationsrecordedabove it is sug-
gested that Endogone parasitizesMelanogasterand that in these in-
stances the findingof Endogone spores in rodentstomachcontentsis
probablydue to theirhavingbeen ingestedtogetherwithMelanogaster.
The writerhas to this date collectedone melanogasternear Dauphin,
Manitoba,fromwhich the spores of E. fasciculatahave been isolated
(FIG. 3).
I am gratefulto Dr. D. B. 0. Savile, Science Service, Ottawa,
Canada, for his assistancein identifyingthe basidiosporesof Melano-
gaster variegatus.-A. BAKERSPIGEL,Departmentof Bacteriologyand
Immunology, Universityof WesternOntario,London,Canada.

ON PREPARINGFLESHY FUNGI FOR THE HERBARIUM

Preparingfleshyfungiforthe mycologicalherbariumconstitutesan
indispensablepart of the routineinvolvedin maintaininga permanent
collection. As practisedtoday throughoutthe United States and in
manyherbariaelsewhere,the proceduremost commonlyfollowedis to
dry the freshlycollectedmushroomsthoroughlyand deposit them in
labelled boxes of appropriatesize for futureuse. As anyone familiar
with this scheme knows, such boxes often occupy a disproportinate
amountof space in a standard(and expensive) herbariumcabinet. It
mighttherefore be of interestto reporton anothermethodof prepara-
tion,more exactingand somewhatmoretime-consuming, but deserving
considerationbecause of the space-savingand possiblyother benefits
it offers.
The techniqueto be outlinedenables the user to mount pressed
specimensof mushroomson herbariumsheets,as is done with higher
plants. The mountedspecimens,enclosedin packets,retainveryclosely
theiroriginalsize and shape and are at least aesthetically
moredesirable
(FIG. 1) thanmushroomsdriedin the conventionalmanner. Although
3 Hawker, L. E. Physiology of Fungi. Universityof London Press, London,
1950.

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NOTES AND BRIEF ARTICLES 443

thetimerequiredfortheirpreparationis greater,it is not excessivelyso,

especiallyaftera littleskillhas been acquiredin thenecessarymanipula-
tions. One disadvantagethat mightbe pointed out in adoptingthe
alternatemethodto be suggestedis thatfragments of the specimensmust
be detachedif microscopiccharacteristics need to be studied,but by
enclosingadditionaldried materialin the packetthis objectionis over-
come. Moreover,the great economyof space attainedand the vastly
improvedappearanceof the collectionsare notableadvantagesover the
older method. The latterpoint should not be underestimated, since it

0 0':0
..' ... ... .. :A ...

FIG. 1. Panaeolus solidipes Pk. prepared according to the method of G. Bohus.

Xi.

is well knownthatmanymushrooms,on drying,bear littleresemblance

to their original condition, thus making their identificationmore
laborious.
During the course of an exchangeof fungiwithDr. GabrielBohus,
mycologistof the Museum of Natural Historyin Budapest,I have re-
ceived over 100 specimensof mushroomsmountedon sheets. In re-
sponse to my request for informationconcerningthe technique of
preparation,Dr. Bohus has generouslyprovidedme withthe following
explanation,whichis a translationfromthe Hungarianof the pertinent
partsof his letter.
Dissolve 40 g of gelatinin 200 cc of waterand apply witha broad
brush to sheets of a low-rag-content paper. A cheap grade of type-
writerpaper is quite suitable. When the sheetshave dried,place them

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444 VOL. 50, 1958
MYCOLOGIA,

in foldersbeneath a weight in order to flattenthem out. Using a

straightrazor,cut longitudinalsectionsabout 1-1.5 mm thickthrough
the centralpart of the cap and stipe of a freshmushroom,in a plane
parallel to the gills. When the sectionshave been made (2 to 4 can
be obtained,dependingupon the diameterof the stipe), by cuttingand
scrapingremovethe gills fromthe halvedcap, using a small spoon (the
edge of whichhas been groundto sharpness) or a single-edgedrazor
blade. When this operationis complete,the delamellatedcap should
be about 1-1.5 mm thick. The fleshof the remainingpart of the stipe
is then scraped out to about the same thickness. Place the prepared
caps and stipeson gelatin-coated paper and press,using the usual blot-
ters,newspapersand corrugatedcardboards. Large,fleshyformsshould
have littlepressureapplied to themat first,while less fleshyones may
be pressed more vigorouslyfromthe start. With viscid mushrooms,
lay a fine-textured clothsuch as chiffon,poplinor batistedirectlyover
the specimenin order to preventthe newspaperfromadhering. If,
however,the fungussticksto the cloth,it may be easily removedby
the applicationof a few drops of waterto the adheringpart. Blotters
should be changedas oftenas requireduntilthe mushroomsare quite
dry. Afterdrying,theymaybe cut out whenconvenientand pasted on
herbarium-grade paper of the desiredsize. The stipesare attachedfirst
(white paste producesverysatisfactory results),thenthe caps, arrang-
ing them to simulate theirnatural condition. In regionsof high hu-
midity,it is advisable, afterthe specimensare dry, to strip off the
gelatin-coated paper by moistening in waterand to mountthemdirectly.
This will tend to preventmolding. In any case, the chieffunctionof
thegelatinis to keep shrinkageat a minimumduringthe dryingprocess.
-BERNARD LOWY, Department of Botany, Bacteriology and Plant
Pathology,Louisiana State University,Baton Rouge.

SYMBOLISM IN HETEROTHALLIC FUNGI

Blakeslee1 originallyapplied the conceptof heterothallism to two

morphologically similar isolates which reacted sexually when paired.
Since the two isolates showed no morphologicaldifferences, it was not
possible to use the designations"male" and "female." To symbolize
called one isolate "(+)."
this situation,Blakeslee arbitrarily Then all
1 Blakeslee, A. F. 1904. Sexual reproductionin the Mucorineae. Amer. Acad.
Arts and Sci. Proc. 40: 205-319.

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