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Preserving Specimens

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  • August 31, 2015 at 9:28 am #29680
    jimmymac2

      Say I found a really rare fungus and I wanted to send it to Kew (probably not going to happen any time soon), how would I preserve it? And if I still wanted to examine it for spores and stuff like that, would I use the same method? I’m having trouble right now even trying to keep a specimen for one night, in the morning it’s usually shrivelled up.

      August 31, 2015 at 6:40 pm #36038
      Gaby

        For a limited time I place them in a sealable plastic container, which has been pre-moistened with water to maintain humidity. That’s where I take the spore prints (on black/white paper). Crude but effective if the weather is hot. But transporting them would be another matter.

        August 31, 2015 at 6:59 pm #36039
        jimmymac2

          Thanks Gaby, I’ll try this.

          August 31, 2015 at 7:10 pm #36040
          Lancashire Lad
          Keymaster

            “Freshly collected fungi can (usually) be kept in good condition for several days, by putting them inside a tightly lidded plastic container, and leaving that in the fridge.

            OK – I accept that other members of the family might object – but then, there is important scientific work going on here – isn’t there! 😆

            If you need to keep your samples for weeks – months – indefinitely, (Or if you are sending any off through the post to be identified, or as voucher specimens), then you will need to completely dry them out.

            Any moisture at all will render them prone to decomposition. (And smelly rotting fungi are completely useless to anyone).

            There is plenty of info to be found by Googling for how to preserve fungi samples.

            Regards,

            Mike.

            August 31, 2015 at 8:30 pm #36041
            adampembs
            Keymaster

              Created a sticky on this subject under general fungi discussion. Please feel free to add any details I may have missed.

              September 1, 2015 at 7:44 am #36042
              jimmymac2

                Thanks Mike. So does that mean fungi can be brought back from dryness (‘shrivelness’ is what I’m calling it)?

                September 1, 2015 at 8:07 am #36043
                adampembs
                Keymaster

                  jimmymac2 wrote:

                  Thanks Mike. So does that mean fungi can be brought back from dryness (‘shrivelness’ is what I’m calling it)?

                  Google it! and read…..learn to walk before you can run.

                  September 12, 2015 at 8:09 am #36044
                  jimmymac2

                    I’m very sorry but I’ve been unable to find anything about bringing back dried specimens.

                    September 12, 2015 at 8:35 am #36045
                    Waxcap

                      Hi,

                      Lancashire Lad has already provided a link to this site elsewhere on this forum.

                      http://www.mushroomexpert.com/microscope_dried.html

                      You should save all of the useful sites that have been mentioned to your favourites folder then the information will be at your fingertips.

                      Dave

                      September 12, 2015 at 10:36 am #36046
                      adampembs
                      Keymaster

                        Waxcap wrote:

                        Hi,

                        Lancashire Lad has already provided a link to this site elsewhere on this forum.

                        http://www.mushroomexpert.com/microscope_dried.html

                        You should save all of the useful sites that have been mentioned to your favourites folder then the information will be at your fingertips.

                        Dave

                        Excuse me?

                        http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=447

                        http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=156

                        September 12, 2015 at 1:46 pm #36047
                        Lancashire Lad
                        Keymaster

                          adampembs wrote:

                          Waxcap wrote:

                          Hi,

                          Lancashire Lad has already provided a link to this site elsewhere on this forum.

                          http://www.mushroomexpert.com/microscope_dried.html

                          You should save all of the useful sites that have been mentioned to your favourites folder then the information will be at your fingertips.

                          Dave

                          Excuse me?

                          http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=447

                          http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=156


                          Hi Adam,

                          I guess that Dave had not seen your links – However, he is correct in what he says, as I did also provide a link to that site.

                          See – http://www.fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=108#p807 – which contains my link to the MushroomExpert site, (and that page then links to information on working with dried material).

                          Regards,

                          Mike.

                          September 12, 2015 at 1:48 pm #36048
                          Lancashire Lad
                          Keymaster

                            adampembs wrote:

                            Waxcap wrote:

                            Hi,

                            Lancashire Lad has already provided a link to this site elsewhere on this forum.

                            http://www.mushroomexpert.com/microscope_dried.html

                            You should save all of the useful sites that have been mentioned to your favourites folder then the information will be at your fingertips.

                            Dave

                            Excuse me?

                            http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=447

                            http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=156

                            September 12, 2015 at 2:13 pm #36049
                            adampembs
                            Keymaster

                              Lancashire Lad wrote:

                              adampembs wrote:

                              Waxcap wrote:

                              Hi,

                              Lancashire Lad has already provided a link to this site elsewhere on this forum.

                              http://www.mushroomexpert.com/microscope_dried.html

                              You should save all of the useful sites that have been mentioned to your favourites folder then the information will be at your fingertips.

                              Dave

                              Excuse me?

                              http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=447

                              http://fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=156


                              Hi Adam,

                              I guess that Dave had not seen your links – However, he is correct in what he says, as I did also provide a link to that site.

                              See – http://www.fungi.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=108#p807 – which contains my link to the MushroomExpert site, (and that page then links to information on working with dried material).

                              Regards,

                              Mike.

                              Fair enough, although Dave’s link is actually to a page not previously linked by anyone :) mine on drying for herbarium was the closest, but this is about restoring them. I’ve added Dave’s link to the FAQ on preserving fungi. :)

                              September 13, 2015 at 8:42 am #36050
                              Waxcap

                                Hi Adam,

                                My link was to a page that was pertinent to Jimmy’s request, which was about rehydrating dried fungi. In the post I mentioned that Mike had already provided a link to the website elswhere on the forum, as I remembered reading his post. I must admit I hadn’t looked through your excellent pages of links but Jimmy should have done :D .

                                Dave

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