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micro_pix

Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 145
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 4:15 pm Post subject: Fungal Spores |
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Here are some photos of fungal spores and the basidiocarps that produced them.
They are all taken under the 100X oil objective (with the exception of the Entoloma which was 40x). They vary in size but are between 7 and 18 microns in length. The first four are from the same genus.
The spores are as photographed, the background has been cleaned and I thought they looked better with a slight shadow which I added in Photoshop.
Panaeolus semiovatus
Panaeolus acuminatus
Panaeolus fimicola
Panaeolus papilionaceus
Hypholoma ericaeum
Inocybe stellatospora

Last edited by micro_pix on Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:56 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Chris S. Site Admin
Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Posts: 3110 Location: Ohio, USA
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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Wonderful! Very effective to see field shots of the fruiting bodies juxtaposed with the spores as you have done. And to have four species of the Panaeolus genus placed so neatly for comparison.
Did you treat any of those spores with KOH?
--Chris S. |
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micro_pix

Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 145
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:12 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Chris. No I didn’t use KOH with these, they were in water. The Panaeolus spores are all naturally dark, the spore print is what I’d calll black/brown, and the Hypholoma and Inocybe spores are mid brown.
I always try and avoid using KOH on fresh spores as I get a better record of their natural colour through the scope but you do need good resolution (or DIC) to see the hyaline spores easily. I have often used lacto-phenol cotton blue if I’m looking for surface ornamentation on the spores but if you have it, DIC is great for that too. |
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Pitufo
Joined: 21 Jun 2015 Posts: 217 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 3:36 am Post subject: |
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Very nice work and good to have photographs of the spores. This group can be hard to tell apart and spore descriptions are not nearly as helpful.
I didn't realise that KOH had an effect on the colour of spores but it can change their size slightly I believe. |
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micro_pix

Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 145
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 4:13 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Pitufo. It’s a long time since I looked at spores in KOH as I invariably look at fresh spores in water. I thought I remember that it made the spores appear a bit darker/browner but it isn’t regarded as a stain. |
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leonardturner
Joined: 14 Mar 2013 Posts: 470 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 4:18 am Post subject: |
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Very interesting comparisons, nicely done and presented. The discussion of KOH is interesting as well. As you may know, the "KOH prep" has often been used diagnostically in medicine to dissolve away flakes of skin gently scraped from a rash, revealing the fungal elements within. I have often done this to good effect. |
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micro_pix

Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 145
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 7:03 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Leonard. I knew KOH was caustic and damaging to skin but I hadn't realised it was used for that purpose.
Here are three photos of hyaline (clear/white) spores. All in water; the first is in brightfield, the second is in darkfield and the third in DIC.
Helvella crispa spores in water.
Entoloma conferendum spores in darkfield.
Laccaria laccata spores in DIC.
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Pitufo
Joined: 21 Jun 2015 Posts: 217 Location: United Kingdom
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Sumguy01
Joined: 28 Jan 2013 Posts: 1251 Location: Ketchikan Alaska USA
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 9:47 am Post subject: |
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Very nice.
Interesting and informative.
Thanks for sharing. |
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Jacek

Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 5181 Location: Poland
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vasselle

Joined: 05 Jan 2014 Posts: 1497 Location: France
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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très bon travail et les images sont belles _________________ Microscope Leitz Laborlux K
Boitier EOS 1200d |
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micro_pix

Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 145
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the nice comments.
Dave |
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Walter Piorkowski
Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 684 Location: South Beloit, Ill
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice project. Enjoying your images. Walt |
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ChrisR Site Admin
Joined: 14 Mar 2009 Posts: 8168 Location: Near London, UK
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 5:34 am Post subject: |
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+1 enjoying these. What size are the spores, approx? _________________ Chris R |
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micro_pix

Joined: 11 May 2012 Posts: 145
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:47 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the comments.
Hi Chris,
The spores are roughly around 8 or 9 microns for the Inocybe spore (they are not all depicted at the same scale) to around 18 microns for the largest of the Panaeolus spores (Panaeolus semiovatus). The Entoloma darkfield was a 40X objective rather than the 100X.
Dave |
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