Preservation of Fungal Sporophores

Abstract

DRYING in the frozen state has been reported as a method of preserving animal tissues, and the fact that the fleshy sporophores of the higher fungi are not visibly destroyed by frost, but only collapse with the ensuing thaw, suggested it might be possible to preserve their morphological characters by quick freezing followed by drying while still in the frozen condition. This has proved to be the case ; but the dried sporophores are so brittle as to require the greatest care in handling, and, unless kept in a desiccator, absorb moisture from the air and soon become shrunken and distorted. These drawbacks can be overcome by immersing the sporophore for a short period in melted wax (paraffin, carnauba, ‘Seekay’) or painting with a solution of wax in volatile solvent, immediately after removal from the desiccator.