Mushrooms

by phillips-roger

This volume contains over 1250 photographs of mushrooms and fungi, often showing the specimens in various stages of growth, and including all the latest botanical and common names as well as current ecological information on endangered species.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Nature, Biology, Natural History, Food, Wildlife

384 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2006

Reviews

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love looking at all the mushrooms in this book!
Technically I have not finished this book, but it is a hefty volume.
I've more like, scanned the pages & flipped through multiple times.

I've put little tabs on all the mushrooms with names that I like, here are some of my favourites:

• Blushing wood mushroom
• Verdigris Agaric
• Clustered Brittlestem
• Magpie Inkcap
• Veiled poisonpie
• Scurfy Twiglet
• Pavement mushroom
• Bonfire Scaleycap

I just think they sound fantastic!
The best way, by far, to read this book is to open it on a random page and see what mushroom/fungi you get, then read all about it!

From a scholastic point of view this book covers loads and loads of mushrooms in detail.
It has pictures for all of them and little descriptions.
This book is very visually dense which can be off-putting, but nonetheless, I really love this book.
It makes me feel like a wizard studying mushrooms for magic school or something! :)

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been using this book quite a bit. Picking samples if mushrooms in the forest or in the fields and taking them home to identify them.

There is I think most of the mushrooms you will find in Ireland listed in this book, with very clear descriptions of what to look for. They are well categorised and the key is as detailed as you would hope for. There are also colour photos of every mushroom along with the description, which makes identification more intuitive.

I haven't yet eaten any of the mushrooms I think I have identified as edible because I'm not that brave, and also have more questions about my identification that the book gives answers for.

[Dorothy Nesbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know that one "reads" this book entirely, but it is a constant companion, particularly in the autumn.

In it, Phillips gives succinct information about different fungi to enable identification and edibility, illustrated with photos, describing key features that enable ID including visual, smell and taste, and habitat.

It is too large to take out when foraging, but perfect for identifying different mushrooms, along with regular visits to mushroom ID groups on social media. I often use it as my starting point for ID before posting in these groups.

Using a reliable source of information is vital for anyone who wants to learn about edibility, since some fungi are poisonous and even deadly. The more I learn, the more I become aware both of how many mushrooms are edible and of the risks of getting a false ID. Using this and other reliable sources of information, I am proceeding with caution. One thing Rogers doesn't do is identify possible (and potentially risky) confusions between different shrooms. For this, I use the specialist groups on social media and have learnt who knows their stuff and who to trust in these groups.

Because of the nature of the book, which I consult regularly on an ongoing basis, I haven't included reading dates.

[Emma Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the largest pictorial collection of UK native fungi and a must own for anyone interested in fungi.

Although this is the 2nd edition, this book was published some years back and there are some huge discrepancies regarding taxonomy & rarity. Over the last 2 decades, multiple species have been renamed and recategorised into different Genre & even Family. Many species are listed as Red Listed when they are rather common nowadays and some common fungi should be considered rare and discourage foragers from picking.

Photos are incredibly detailed often showing various growth stages and multiple fungi, unfortunately these are normally prime specimens matching descriptions to a T and a lot of fungi don't always like to grow exactly like the images & descriptions say they should.

[Tom Fordham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed full of photos and information, this mushroom encyclopaedia has fuelled my interest in fascinating fungi! Roger Phillips's book covers various types that can be found on these isles and its not until I saw them in this way that I realised just how many different species of mushroom there are. The photos are high quality and really helpful too.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite mushroom book. Such great photos for identification

[Ed Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book available on mushroom identification?

[Af · Rating 5 out of 5]

A excellent and beautiful field guide which has brought me lots of joy and knowledge over the years.

[Birdie Brittain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A teacher from my school leant me this book to look through for my art project. So incredibly helpful and truly fascinating. The photographs are detailed and clear, and the amount of research put into this is impressive. A brilliant read!

[Andrew Smart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed information, best book on mushroom identification in my opinion. A course in mushroom foraging and practical experience essential before contemplating mushroom picking

[Wollom KW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracking book. Very useful when foraging.