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Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians
Field Mycology Volume 4(4), October 2003 whether teaching or publishing or presenting, to make fungi more fun and memorable. It has been arranged alphabetically in two sections for ease of use, from scientific Latin to English name and also from English name to Latin. However it is strongly recommended that the English name always be accompanied by the Latin name in all published material, particularly field guides, to avoid any possible confusion between species. Only time will tell whether the names ultimately prove popular, but there is no disputing the positive feedback from the splash of media interest that the list has produced. Some mushroom growers have already shown an interest in using the names for commercial species, and
Sheila Spence was delighted to discover that, thanks to the media coverage, the idea was immediately being spread at school by her daughter’s ‘A’ level Biology teacher. Making mycology more mainstream, through education and the national curriculum, is one of our fundamental aims, so the list is already causing a positive stir. The full list of English names can be downloaded (with an introduction) from the BMS website www.Britmycolsoc.org.uk or a printed leaflet can be obtained from either Plantlife International, 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wilts SP1 1DX, or from the BMS, Joseph Banks Building, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AE.
BOOK REVIEW Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians William C. Roody University Press of Kentucky, 2003 ISBN 0-8131-2262-7, $60.00 Readers may remember my enthusiastic review of North American Boletes (FM 1(4):141) of which Bill Roody was one of the authors.This time Bill is the sole author and once again he has produced a book to be proud of. Covering one of the richest areas of North America in mycological terms, this
The front cover of Bill Roodyʼs new book with a striking photograph of Omphalotus illudens.
fat tome (520pp) includes photographs of around 400 species. As always his photography is superb throughout. Each species includes a concise description followed by useful comments, based on the author’s many years of field experience. The breadth of coverage is good and includes many rarities, smaller species and less illustrated fungi, as well as the popular species seen in so many handbooks. There are a surprising number of species which will be familiar to European readers, most of them looking exactly as we know them. A very few errors have crept in and - as is common in American books - it is some of the European names that are misapplied. The author is not to blame for this, species concepts vary for all sorts of historical reasons and it is unfortunately still the case that mnay European names continue to be routinely applied to uniquely American species. This is gradually changing as newer studies are undertaken. In this volume the photos of Lepiota cristata and Amanita virosa certainly do not correspond to the original European concepts. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise superb volume, highly recommended to anyone who wants to study the mycological wonders of this region of North America. Geoffrey Kibby
142
Sheila Spence was delighted to discover that, thanks to the media coverage, the idea was immediately being spread at school by her daughter’s ‘A’ level Biology teacher. Making mycology more mainstream, through education and the national curriculum, is one of our fundamental aims, so the list is already causing a positive stir. The full list of English names can be downloaded (with an introduction) from the BMS website www.Britmycolsoc.org.uk or a printed leaflet can be obtained from either Plantlife International, 14 Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wilts SP1 1DX, or from the BMS, Joseph Banks Building, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AE.
BOOK REVIEW Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians William C. Roody University Press of Kentucky, 2003 ISBN 0-8131-2262-7, $60.00 Readers may remember my enthusiastic review of North American Boletes (FM 1(4):141) of which Bill Roody was one of the authors.This time Bill is the sole author and once again he has produced a book to be proud of. Covering one of the richest areas of North America in mycological terms, this
The front cover of Bill Roodyʼs new book with a striking photograph of Omphalotus illudens.
fat tome (520pp) includes photographs of around 400 species. As always his photography is superb throughout. Each species includes a concise description followed by useful comments, based on the author’s many years of field experience. The breadth of coverage is good and includes many rarities, smaller species and less illustrated fungi, as well as the popular species seen in so many handbooks. There are a surprising number of species which will be familiar to European readers, most of them looking exactly as we know them. A very few errors have crept in and - as is common in American books - it is some of the European names that are misapplied. The author is not to blame for this, species concepts vary for all sorts of historical reasons and it is unfortunately still the case that mnay European names continue to be routinely applied to uniquely American species. This is gradually changing as newer studies are undertaken. In this volume the photos of Lepiota cristata and Amanita virosa certainly do not correspond to the original European concepts. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise superb volume, highly recommended to anyone who wants to study the mycological wonders of this region of North America. Geoffrey Kibby
142