Book Reviews

This is the second edition of the last volume in the well known series of guide books for everybody interested in mushrooms and toadstools. An introduction to the history of mycology is given. The main body of this book consists of keys to all genera of macromycetes in Europe. In general the keys work well, though not all are dichotomous as first macroscopical, then easily observed microscopic and at last more difficult microscopic characters are used. But the genus Amanita is keyed out in the group of the Agarics with adnate, emarginate or adnexed lamellae. References to descriptions and illustrations in the first five volumes are given. A glossary, some black-and-white pictures of characteristic representatives of several fungal groups, a survey of all genus names, the natural system of fungi, a list of authors' names and last but not least a general index to all species and genera treated in volumes 1-5 are given. The authors succeeded well in giving an updated version of the first edition of 1975. This volume is indispensable to all owners of the first five volumes and it is an excellent reference book.