Ronnie Rayner had been working on the genus for a number of years, but sadly died before the present work was completed. Roy Watling and Evelyn Turnbull carried it through to publication.

Key to species, based primarily on macroscopic characters, followed by the detailed species descriptions we have come to expect from this series. The line drawings are grouped at the back, effectively hiding the index near the middle of the book and making it much harder to use.

Novel chemical tests on cap/stipe flesh are extensively reported, including FeSO4, guiacum, guiacol, orthotolidine, Henry’s reagent, strong NH4OH, aniline water, strong KOH, conc HCl, strong H2SO4, but the toxicity or caustic nature of many of these will prevent their use by most mycologists. Certainly not a mixture you would want to carry in the field!

Ecological lists follow the species accounts, but stop short of giving mycorrhizal hosts.

Some of the taxonomy is at variance with the recent checklist (Legon et al.) and seven recently-added species are omitted (see Pat Leeonard’s review in Field Mycology, 2005, Vol 6(4) pp143-144). Presumably these are largely related to the long and interrupted gestation period.

For owners of Heilmann-Clausen et al or other recent continental works, the present volume offers an alternative key, more detailed decriptions and more comprehensive ecological notes from a British perspective (although the association of L. evosmus and Rockrose (Helianthemum) is not mentioned).

Includes a copy of the BFF colour chart.