Mushrooms: A guide to fungi and toadstools

Mushrooms are rather magical, one of our planet’s hidden treasures and most amazing organisms. Used for millennia as both food, medicine and (sometimes) poison, mushrooms and toadstools have an ancient place in our culture – 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 provides a concise guide to the world’s major mushrooms and toadstools arranged by species. Each entry includes details of the fungi’s main features, such as the shape and colour of the cap, the gills and the stem, plus details of the mushroom’s typical environment and whether it is poisonous or edible. Discover the remarkable lion’s mane, a shaggy white mushroom found on the trunks of dead hardwood trees such as oak; see the disconcerting Jelly Ear, it’s large tan-brown fleshiness growing on the branches of trees; marvel at the vivid hues of the red-and-white spotted fly agaric, thought to be the home of fairies and magical creatures, and known to cause hallucinations and psychotic reactions if eaten; and learn about the porcini mushroom, which, with its woodsy and nutty flavour, is widely used for cooking. Vivid, informative and illustrated with 300 photographs, Mushrooms offers a pictorial guide to fungi for foragers, cooks and nature lovers.