Sunday, August 2, 2020

Fungi - keys from books

First up is some useful diagrams, pointers etc. Suggest you find one you like and laminate it. Apologies I can't remember where I got these from, so can't direct to the authors.

This is my personal favourite. 



This table I found really helpful when learning about boletes / mycorrhizal fungi and what tree species to look under. EM trees are the trees which produce the visible fruiting bodies. This is from a NZ paper from memory, but doesn't include Manuka / Kanuka and NZ beech which are EM mycorrhizal. 


A simple diagram



 I think these are for recording samples / scientifically. I use inaturlist instead.

And those who are interested in the science side of things might like to consider the Guide to Surveying Fungi in Australia

My new interest is fungi. I have collated a number of book based keys for use by others in the community. Would strongly encourage you to purchase the books, if you are able, of the keys you find useful. At the start is NZ books / guides, then international ones. Remember names change a lot in fungi, so the older the publication the more errors it will contain. But google can tell you about the new names etc. 

The best book currently on NZ fungi, is A Field Guide to NZ fungi by Shirley Kerr. Search trademe for a listing.

Crop and Food (now Food and Plant Research) based in NZ, published in 1998 Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms An Introduction. by Ian Hall and others. I got my copy from Food and Plant Research. Has the two circles:




Field Guide of Fungi by Greta Stevenson published by University of Canterbury in 1982

Note, will attempt to fix and get a straight scan sometime. 

Specific keys for NZ fungi are best found over at Jerry Coopers inaturalist journal. I do have some PDF's and links for other keys not found there. 

Cortinarius species book, (123 pages) can be downloaded here.  
The genus Psilocybe (Agaricales) in New Zealand, paper 
Magic Mushrooms of Australia & New Zealand a useful guide to Psilocybe genus and look alikes.  
Some common Fungi of Auckland city, dated 1983.
I also have a PDF of this 1970's book, which I downloaded. But can't seem to find the source.  

There is a book on the pink spored fungi, known as the Pluteaceae. This included the Pluteus species, of which this is the key (would love a copy of the book if you have one to donate!) 






Now for the International guides. 

This circle approach (big file) to ID'ing impressed me so much I went and purchased the two volume set. Would highly recommend

Other material that I have scanned in is as follows: 

the Hamlyn Guide Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Northern Europe, has excellent introduction, diagrams and such. Will attempt to put the key in here soon. 

From The Color Dictionary of Mushrooms (I wouldn't recommend the book) published in 1982 has this simple key