The first fully illustrated reference guide to gasteroid mushrooms in North America. Gasteroid fungi are one of the most diverse groups of mushrooms. Unlike the majority of mushrooms that produce spores externally, these unusual fungi produce spores within their fruitbodies. Puffballs, Earthstars, Stinkhorns, and Other Gasteroid Fungi of Eastern North America is the first color-illustrated reference guide for this unique group of fungi in North America. Providing information for the identification of more than one hundred species, it includes keys based on macroscopic features, detailed species descriptions with both common and scientific names, accurate and beautiful color images, and key identification features. Additionally, the book contains a plethora of useful information about the biology of gasteroid fungi, current taxonomy, mechanisms of spore dispersal, as well as fun facts. A much-needed volume from well-known mycologists Alan and Arleen Bessette, William Roody, and Dianna Smith, this comprehensive book is a must-have for all fungi enthusiasts, from mushroom hunting hobbyists to professional mycologists.
Alan E. Bessette is a professional mycologist and emeritus professor of biology at Utica College of Syracuse University. He has authored or coauthored more than thirty books, including Polypores and Similar Fungi of Eastern and Central North America. Arleen R. Bessette is a retired psychotherapist as well as a mycologist and botanical photographer who has been collecting and studying wild mushrooms for more than forty years. She has authored or coauthored several mycological papers and more than twenty books, including Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States. William C. Roody is a mycologist and wildlife diversity biologist. He has authored or coauthored seven books, including Tricholomas of North America. Dianna G. Smith served as the chairperson of the Committee on Medicinal Fungi for the North American Mycological Association. She is a coauthor of Polypores and Similar Fungi of Eastern and Central North America.
Preface Introduction Geographic Area Covered by This Book What Are Gasteroid Fungi? Phylogenetic Background to Gasteroid Fungi The Perplexing Name Changes How to Use This Book Explanation and Use of the Keys Color Key to the Major Groups of Gasteroid Fungi Species Descriptions and Illustrations Puffballs Earthballs Earthstars and Similar Fungi Bird's Nest Fungi Stinkhorns Miscellaneous Gasteroid Fungi Appendix A. Microscopic Identification Appendix B. Chemical Reagents Appendix C. Phylogenies of Gasteroid and Similar Fungi Glossary Bibliography and Resources About the Authors Illustration and Photography Credits Index to Common Names Index to Scientific Names
