Recommended Mushroom Guides For New England Area
These, each beginner should get, in the given order, as soon as possible.
National Audubon Society
1. Field Guide to North American Mushrooms
by Gary H. Lincoff
Recommended because it is small enough to take with you in to the field and
woods. Also it is least expensive and covers all kinds of mushrooms.
2. Mushrooms of Northeastern
North America
by Alan E. Bessette and others
Has mushrooms listed and described that are not found in #1. Written
specifically to describe mushrooms found in the North East. Saves you time
so that you do not try to match your find to something that grows only in
Arizona or California.
3.
Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America
by Roger Phillips
Covers more mushrooms then any of the other three, in living color. Very
handy for a beginner who first tries to identify through comparison with
pictures. As you will learn, the picture is not enough and you will have
to learn to compare your unknown to the description of the mushroom that you
suspect it is. But this gives you a place to start to get some idea what
the mushroom might be.
4.
North American Boletes
by Alan E. Bessette and others
This is the most expensive book
since it is a hard cover and a first addition, published in 2000. Unless
the authors put out an updated addition it is bound to become even more
expensive in next few years, particularly if it goes out of print. It has
a list price of $95 and on 11/10/05 it sells for $67.85 at Amazon.com.
This is actually $10 less then I paid last September. If you are
interested in Boletes, you will want to get this, the most complete Bolete guide
currently available.
Recommended mushroom books for off season reading:
"Celebrating the Wild Mushroom" by
Sara Ann Friedman
Very interesting and humorous. A lot of general information about wild
mushrooms. A rational warning about poisonous mushrooms, unlike the
mycophobic version found in most guides. She mentions Charles McIlvaine
and Greg Wright, two "OLD BOLD" mushroom hunters who tasted most mushrooms that
were labeled "poisonous" or "not edible" in guides of their time. She
devotes quite bit of space to Amanitas and so called "magic" mushrooms, which do
not interesting me, so I just skimmed over this material. My feeling is
that if I can not solve my problems with a clear head, taking mind altering
drugs is not going to help.
"Magical Mushrooms Mischievous Molds" by
George Hudler
The first half of the book describes diseases caused by fungi. The second
half deals with the good side of the fungi. I found out that Bob Dillon
had a life threatening encounter with some mushroom when he was young and
foolish. He was a good songwriter and poet when he was young, and did not
even know it. Maybe that is the good he got from mushrooms :o)
"In The Company of Mushrooms, A Biologist's
Tale" by Elio Schaechter
A lot of information about mushrooms and mushrooming in Massachusetts.
Very interesting and humorous.