/myc/ - mycology
Let's identify mushrooms. Hopefully occasionally gonna post this stuff.
Mushrooms have several traits to identify them.
First the appearance. They consist of:
- cap
- hymenium is the underside of the cap where sores grow, can be gills, sponge, internal (eg. puffballs), etc.
- stalk (or stipe)
- annulus is a collar around the stipe, remains of a partial veil
- volva is like a boot or a sock at the base of the stipe, remains of a universal veil
The aforementioned veils are membranes which cover the gills (partial) or the whole mushroom (universal) at younger age.
There are other physical characteristics:
- spore color
- smell
- taste (well obviously don't eat what you couldn't identify, but still it's a trait)
- bruising, changing in color when touched, injured
Beside two more important factor that might help:
- habitat