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British Puffballs, Earthstars and Stinkhorns

The First Modern Account of British Gasteroid Fungi

Bovista dermoxantha

All 74 British species of gasteroid fungi - puffballs, earthballs, stinkhorns, and bird’s nest fungi - are fully described and illustrated with colour photographs. Line-drawings show distinctive microscopic characters and maps show the recorded distribution of each species within the British Isles. 

This will be the standard text for many years to come. The gasteroid fungi are among the most spectacular and fascinating of all the larger fungi, yet no comparable modern, illustrated account is available anywhere in the world. The text descriptions include diagnostic characters, macro-features, microscopic structures, habitat, distribution, frequency, and other general comments. The current scientific name is provided, along with a full synonymy, and the popular English name.Detailed keys are provided to all orders, families, genera and species. The introductory chapters contain information on the form and structure of the fruitbodies, distribution and habitats, folklore and uses. Keys are also provided for underground gasteroid fungi (false truffles) covered in more detail in a previous Kew volume. 

Aseroe rubra Contents: 

  • Introduction 
  • Form and structure 
  • Distribution and habitats 
  • How to collect and examine gasteroid fungi 
  • Folklore and uses 
  • Keys to orders and families 
  • Earthballs, dyeballs and barometer earthstar (sclerodermatales) 
  • Stalk and stilt puffballs (tulostomatales) 
  • Bird's nest fungi and cannon fungi (nidulariales) 
  • Puffballs, bovists and earthstars (lycoperdales) 
  • Stinkhorns and cage fungi (phallales) 
  • Keys to hypogeous gasteroid fungi (false truffles) 
  • Glossary 
  • References 
  • BMS distribution maps 
  • Index 

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