The process of making a spore print is relatively simple. Spores form on the basidia (usually in groups of four), and in high humidity the spores are catapulted from the mushroom through a process called “ballistospory.” The Genus Psilocybe is within the Basidiomycota: Most Basidiomycota form gills or pores, and distributed along the surface of each gill or each pore are structures called basidia (plural of basidium). The most well known Ascomycota include some cup fungi, and morels ( Morchela sp.). The asci are distributed across the surface of the mushroom, the pressure in the tubes build up and the spores are shot into the air. Ascomycota form their spores in long thin tubes called asci (plural of ascus). The two groups are classified by their spore dispersal methods. At that point, the two combine to form a dikaryotic mycelium and complete their life cycle by creating mushrooms and dispersing spores.Īll fungi produce spores, but the fungi that produce mushrooms fit into two groups: the Ascomycota and the Basidiomycota. When they germinate, the hyphae spread through their substrate, disgesting what they can of their surroundings, but cannot sexually reproduce until they find a compatible mating partner.

Fungi compensate for this by producing millions of spores per mushroom. The probability of landing in a suitable substrate in which to germinate-one that is not already colonized by another fungus-and then finding a genetically compatible sexual partner in the same substrate is relatively low. But unlike plants, germination for spores is a lot riskier. As spores are incredibly light and durable, they can survive various conditions, including high altitude, the intestinal tracts of animals, and according to some, even outer space!Īlso, like seeds, they patiently await the correct environmental or chemical triggers necessary for germination. But unlike a plant seed which contains a complete plant embryo held in a biochemical stasis, a spore is a single haploid cell with a thick hard coating. They are the primary means by which fungi are distributed-most often cast to the elements, to be swept away on a breeze, caught on the fur of animals, or tramped through the forest on a human’s boot. Spores are the fundamental reproductive unit for fungi. You can wash the spores into water and spread over a substrate, make a spore syringe for use in the PF Tek (a type of mushroom cultivation methodology), or add spores to sterile agar in Petri dishes for more advanced growing techniques.

Spore prints allow a variety of different methods of propagation. In this article, we explain how to make spore prints and the best way to store them.