Field Guide to Mushrooms of Britain and Europe [Paperback]

I have been able to identify many mushrooms very easily whilst out on mushroom hunts in the New Forest. The pictures and descriptions in this book have enabled me to pick mushrooms with confidence.

The Grünerts' is that rare thing, a guide to fungi that is easily pocketable. At just under 300 pages it is still quite detailed for a field guide, but with the generous treatment of only 2 species per double-page spread - half a page of text, a half-page photograph - it covers just 265 of the most common or striking species.

Obviously this forces a strict selection of what to cover on to the authors. There is very brief coverage of the cups and brackets. The other Ascomycetes like Candlesnuff, Woodwarts and crusts, and the smaller fungi like rusts, slime moulds and lichens are omitted altogether.

There are ten coloured symbols which neatly distinguish Boletes, Brackets, Puffballs and so on from the "gill fungi". The colours make for quick access to the smaller groups, but fail to address the main problem - that the gill fungi occupy pages 16-179 of the book, with only flipping through the pictures to guide the beginner.

Do not be put off by this book's age - its photographs are clear and remarkably large (in fact, the mushrooms are often as big or bigger than in the much heavier Phillips). All the photographs are taken (in the modern way) in nature. In a few cases, a section is shown; in most species, the mushroom is photographed from the side to show cap, gills and stem; and quite often, a specimen or two is laid flat beside the standing mushrooms. The photographs have excellent depth of focus, and are very helpful in showing the essential features for identification.

The text is as good as the illustrations. Each species is described under the headings of cap, gills, stem, and flesh. The colour of the spore print is indicated for every species. The distribution across Europe is described; it seems that Dr Derek Reid has adapted the text and many of the distribution notes for British readers. There are very helpful sections on Possible confusion and Edibility for every species.

Surprisingly for a small field guide, there are quite extensive Notes on each species, giving the meaning of the Latin name, and other interesting facts such as use as dyestuffs, special biological mechanisms, cultivation, history and recognition of the genus.

The Grünerts are practical, as well, in rejecting the easy path of listing all sorts of identification marks (spore sizes, chemical reagents) that normal "collectors" cannot be expected to use. This keeps the text short, and frankly avoids the clutter found in many mushroom books.

Where the Grünerts excel is in describing edibility, and avoiding possible confusion with poisonous species. Each species has an icon to indicate its culinary status: a fork-on-a-plate icon - straight, or crossed out; or a skull-and-crossbones for the dangerous species. This is a good and practical book, in other words, for the mushroom collector, and the publisher has found space for four pages on collecting, including one page on avoiding poisoning.

This is a useful and reliable book to carry with you in the field, whether your purpose is collecting for the kitchen or simply identifying what you see, as long as your focus is on mushrooms rather than fungi in general. A small book cannot cover every species; this one does really well in its selection, and takes care to tell you when there are similar species in a group, or in other groups that look similar. You could rely on this book as an eating guide, but remember the old advice: get your wild mushrooms checked by an expert before you eat them. Or get another book such as Phillips' Mushrooms to confirm your identifications once you get home.

An excellent book with clear photographs taken in natural surroundings with details of each individual fungus. The authors also explain the english translations of many latin terms for fungi, which is interesting and informative. The guide is small enough to slip into a bag, backpack or large pocket and would be useful in helping to determine fungi species.