Mushroom ID Book for Novice

[lostplanet]

My father has been collecting a few big field mushrooms lately whilst walking the dog.
I have Food for free which gave me a good explanation and ID of the Fields (Agaricus campestris) before we cooked them.

After a search around there were a lot of threads asking for Mushroom ID books which was too much reading tbh.

I am looking for a small pocket sized handbook that will last in 'someone who doesn't care about there stuff too muchs' pocket and needs to be very novice friendly.
The book will be for 'what not to pick' and a good bit of info on the ones he is likely to come accross.

We have a lot of marshland/wasteland around us, hardly any woods, certainly not forest.

Books I have added to my amazon wishlist:
Mushrooms by Patrick Harding Collins gem 0007183070
Mushrooms by Roger Philips 2006 isbn 0330442376

recommendations please.

 

[maddave]

The Roger Philips book is excellent and you shouldn't need any more, However the collins gem book on mushrooms ISBN 978-0-00-718307-4 is a handy one to have in your pocket if you're out and about.

 

[Paullyfuzz]

It just so happens that i have a spare Collins little gem guide to mushrooms. Let me know if you want it and we can sort somink out.

Cheers,

Paul

 

[Shewie]

Picked up Blacks nature guide to mushrooms and toadstools of britain and europe tonight. Looks very promising and will be going in my pack for the next month or so.

 

[Toadflax]

The Roger Philips book is very comprehensive, but it is big and heavy so not ideal if you are after a pocket guide. It is an encyclopaedia rather than a guide and does take quite some time to get used to. The only way I have found to use it is (as a fungus novice) is to try to ID every fungus I can find and, certainly in the early stages, this has involved leafing through every one of the 370 or so pages. However, I am now getting better at going to the appropriate species section but fungus IDing is not something that can be learned in an afternoon.

Having said that, I wouldn't be without it and I'd rather carry the weight of a comprehensive book in my pack than a small guide that may not cover everything.

The Collins Guide to mushrooms is supposed to be very good too, but is currently out of print, though I believe it is due for a reprint /update in 2009 /2010, but you ought to be able to get used copies from ebay, etc.

Collins Mushroom Hunting by Patrick Harding is also a good book for the commoner edible species, but I'd still be wanting a full ID book to go alongside this.


Geoff

 

[Barney]

I use a Naturetrek guide.

The book is named Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe - isbn 0-7153-0155-1- and is published by David and Charles.

It is a 235 page "large pocket" sized book. It covers 168 of the most common species found.
There are very clear photographs of each type, usually showing 4 or 5 different stages of growth plus gill pattern and sometimes a cross section or alternatively the foot and volva.

There is lots of general information relayed which is displayed in both text and a handy key type chart covering all the usual factors: Edibility,type,spore colour,habitat,cap description,cap texture, height etc.


I think it serves its purpose as a field guide well, detailing enough varieties for the beginner.
I have never felt the need to purchase another "mushroom book" because this was lacking or deficient. This also means I cannot objectively compare the guide to what else is available out there.