Mushrooms : A guide to fungi and toadstools

Mushrooms are one of our planet’s most amazing and unusual organisms. Used for millennia as a source of food, medicine, and occasionally poison, mushrooms and toadstools have become part of our cultural histories: for example, a ring of mushrooms was believed to be a magnet for fairies to come out to dance, while in Greek mythology, mushrooms were said to originate from Zeus’s lightning because they appeared after rainstorms. Mushrooms is a photographic guide to the world’s major species of fungi, from the familiar porcini mushroom, prized for its meaty texture and nutty taste, to the vivid hues of the red-and-white spotted fly agaric, known to cause psychotic reactions if eaten, and the well-named Jelly Ears, its large tan-brown fleshiness found growing on tree branches. Illustrated with 300 photographs and including dimensions and characteristics for each entry, Mushrooms offers a vivid pictorial introduction to fungi for foragers, cooks and all those interested in mycology.