Spore print

In most guides for identifying  mushrooms, an important  element is the spore print.  The print  shows the color of the mushroom spores when viewed en massive quantities.

It is possible to obtain a spore print by placing the cap of the mushroom with the gills  facing down  flat on a sheet of dark  or white paper or on a  surface  of clear and stiff plastic,  this technique makes it easier  to move the spore print to a darker or lighter surface to obtain improved contrast;  this way, it facilitates  to know if  the spore print is pure solid color or if it is slightly pigmented.

The mushroom is left  sitting there for several hours, or  overnight. When  removed, the color of the spores are visible. 

Mycologists also use glass slides, which permits quick examination under the microscope.

A mushroom cannot be identified from its spore print alone; the spore print is only one characteristic used in making a taxonomic determination.

Spore print from a Portabela mushroom  from supermarket