Mushrooms as Rainmakers: How Spores Act as Nuclei for Raindrops
Fig 8
Overview of the mechanism of droplet formation on the surface of basidiospores.
(A-C) Condensation of water on the spore surface associated with spore discharge. Process of drop formation is driven by the presence of hygroscopic sugars on the spore surface in the two positions shown in gray in A. (D, E) Water evaporates from the surface of the airborne spore. (F) Condensation of water on the spore surface resumes under conditions of high atmospheric relative humidity. (G) Larger droplets of water formed by merger of spores carrying smaller droplets.