Mushrooms of Western North America (California Natural History Guides (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: A helpful guide for experienced mushroomers
Review: This field guide covers ascomycetes and basidiomycetes from southern California to the Rocky Mountains, and north to Alaska. Besides the major groups of fungi, there is a good description of how mushrooms grow, a glossary of mycological terms, mycological collections & societies, and instructions on successful collecting.

I own quite a few field guides on mushrooms, and rated this one a 3 because it probably would not appeal to first-time mushroomers. Mushrooms are described according to the latin name, but the common name is not included in the title. There is a list of common names in the back of the book, which is helpful, but would be more so if included in the title. There are not enough drawing and photos to assist amateurs in sure identification. There are several pages of color photos in the center of the book, and many b/w line drawings throughout. A nice feature is a series of keys for different species. You match up the qualities of your specimen and discard those that do not, until the correct name is found.

Although this is not the field guide I would pick up first to identify a mushroom, I have found its thoroughness helpful in narrowing down the possibilities because of the book's detailed descriptions.