Author | Pegler, D.N., Laessoe, T. & Spooner, B.M. |
Year | 1995 |
Title | British Puffballs, Earthstars & Stinkhorns |
ISBN | 0 947643 81 8 |
Type | Book/Report |
How Complete | All the British species of basidiomycete gasteromycetes, including exotics and historical records, known at the time. |
Source | 255pp, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |
Illustrations | A good colour photograph and line drawings of the microscopy accompany each species entry. |
Review (by Malcolm Storey) | Nicely presented work with very complete descriptions and excellent colour photographs. The introduction contains a useful table of habitat preferences (p11-12). The first key (p19) is to old-style orders and families, but these groups are well known so this will rarely be needed. It is followed by the orders, each with a short account, followed by a key to families, and so on. The final keys to species are followed by very full species accounts with a colour photograph and line drawings of microscopy. |
Errata, Corrigenda & Comments | Incorrect page numbers in the key on page 19. The same couplet is repeated slightly differently in some keys, eg couplet 2 on p19 is different from its equivalent in the key on page 56. |
Examine | in the Hand ( Compound Microscope is also useful) |
Specimen Preparation | The keys to genera mainly use macroscopic characters, but microscopic examination of spores and capillitium is often required at species level. A wetting agent, eg alcohol or dilute detergent is useful to wet the spores and capillitium. Cotton blue helps to show capillitial characters. |
Identification difficulty | Mostly straightforward, although Scleroderma, Geastrum and Lycoperdon require care. |
Notes & Purpose | Status | Taxon | English | Classification |
---|---|---|---|---|
For identification | Current | AGARICACEAE | mushrooms, dapperlings and parasols, puffballs and bird’s-nests | Fungi: Agaricales |
For identification | Current | Battarrea phalloides | Sandy Stiltball, Sandy Stilt Puffball | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Bovista | bovists, balloon fungi | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Calvatia gigantea | Giant Puffball | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Lycoperdon | puffballs | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Lycoperdon excipuliforme | Pestle Puffball, Pestle-shaped Puffball | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Lycoperdon pratense | Meadow Puffball | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Lycoperdon radicatum | Rooting Puffball, Rooting Bovist | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Lycoperdon utriforme | Mosaic Puffball | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Queletia mirabilis | Quelet’s Stalk Puffball | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Tulostoma | stalkballs | Fungi: Agaricales: Agaricaceae |
For identification | Current | Hydnangium carneum | Flesh-pink Truffle | Fungi: Agaricales: Hydnangiaceae |
For identification | Current | Gautieria | a genus of false truffles | Fungi: Gomphales: Gomphaceae |
For identification | Superseded | GEASTRACEAE | earthstars | Fungi: Geastrales |
For identification | Current | HYSTERANGIACEAE | stinkhorn truffles | Fungi: Hysterangiales |
For identification | Current | PHALLACEAE | stinkhorns and cage fungi | Fungi: Phallales |
For identification, Basidiomycete species only | Current | [Gasteromycetes] | puffballs, earthstars, earthballs, stinkhorns, truffles etc. | Fungi |
Unless otherwise expressly stated, all original material on the BioInfo website by Malcolm Storey is licensed under the above Creative Commons Licence.