Figs. 9-12. Fungal cultures. 9. Spo

Figs. 9-12. Fungal cultures. 9. Spore suspension on 16 squares on water agar plate. 10. Five
pieces of agar containing germinated spores on PDA plate. 11. Fungal colonies of about I cm
diam. 12. A pure fungal culture.
razor blade is used to cut the sporocarp open to expose the internal contents.
The contents can then be transferred to a drop of sterilized water on a small
glass container or slide in order to provide a spore suspension.
Fungi with cup-shaped fruiting bodies (ascomycetes with apothecia:
Rhytisma sp., Fig. 5, and coelomycetes with acervuli: Chaetospermum sp.), can
be transferred directly, by removing the whole fruiting body. This can be
placed in sterilized water and squashed with fine forceps, in order to provide a
spore suspenSIOn.
Basidiomycetes with gills can produce numerous spores. A spore
suspension can be obtained by removing a few segments from the gills and
agitating them in sterilized water. Isolation can also be carried out from sterile
tissue within the cap. A few pieces of sterile tissue can be aseptically torn from
the split fruiting structure and placed on water agar.
Spores of hyphomycetes can be picked up directly from the substrate using
fine forceps or a needle (Fig. 6). It is better to pick up spores only (not
conidiophores), as this reduces the chance of contamination. The spores are
placed in sterilized water and agitated in order to provide a spore suspension.