Collection of Mushrooms: Different species exhibit different fruiting phenologies, which vary from month to month and at different altitudes and regions.
Thus a particular species may fruit at different seasons across wide geographic distances or long elevation gradient.
Sampling was done using quadrant method each measuring 20 × 20 m. Total of 80 sampling plots in the above 8 sampling sites were studied.
The collections of the mushrooms were made as suggested by Largent from June 2007 to November 2010. Field characters such as habit, habitat, colour and size of the pileus, stipe and lamellae, presence or absence of annulus etc.,
were noted from the fresh material, spore print was obtained and photographs were taken in its natural habitat.
The colour terminology used is that of Kornerup and Wanscher.
The specimens were dried in hot air over at 40-50°C and stored in air tight containers with some naphthalene balls for further microscopic studies.
The dried specimens were revived with 10% potassium hydroxide solution; stains such as 1% aqueous Phloxine, Congo red-solution were used.
Reagent such as Melzer’s reagent was used to study amyloidity of spores and various other tissues. Cresyl blue solution was used to study the metachromatic reaction of the spores.