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Spore Color

The first question that you’ll want an answer to is one which is impossible to immediately answer in most cases: What color are the spores?

Since the spores are microscopic, you can’t just look at one and see what color it is. To properly find the spore color, you must get out a sheet of white paper (some people prefer half white-half black paper), cut the stem off the mushroom, put the cap on the paper with the gills down, then cover with a bowl or cup. If you’re lucky, after a couple hours or overnight you should have a nice outline of the gills made by thousands of spores falling onto the paper, like the one shown, and can easily tell the spore color.


The problem, of course, with this method is that it takes at least a couple hours and sometimes if the mushroom is too dry it doesn’t work at all. What most experienced mushroom people do is make an educated guess based on the color of the gills and their past experience. It helps that there are only a few major colors that spores usually can be: white, pink, brown, or black. (There are actually quite a few varieties of browns and off-whites.) One can start making a spore print while making a tentative guess as to what color the spores will be.


If You Suspect a Poisoning
If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom, contact a physician, the closest hospital ER, poison control center, or dial 911, depending on the severity of the reaction.

US Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) has information that may also be of help. Click here.
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 We do not ID mushrooms through this website. 
If you are in need of an ID consider uploading quality photos with multiple views of your specimen and descriptions of your find to Mushroom Observer or iNaturalist including our projects or post in Wild Food Wisconsin or Mushroom Identification Group.

If you contact us and provide a way to get back to you, we may be able to provide suggestions for more identification resources you can use.
You are always responsible for your own decisions taken on the basis of identification resources.

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Wisconsin Mycological Society

Wisconsin Mycological Society (WMS) is dedicated to the study and enjoyment of mushrooms and other fungi throughout the state of Wisconsin. Education, safety, sustainability, community, and connecting with nature are our goals. 

We are affiliated with NAMA, a society that covers all of North America and includes many affiliate clubs. We also love to support regional  Wisconsin clubs and fungi related events. This includes the Madison Mycological Society and the Northwestern Wisconsin MycoEnthusiasts.

If you run or want to start a regional group, or one focused on a unique mycological topic, please do reach out to us.