Mushrooms and Toadstools: An Illustrated Guide

Mushrooms and toadstools are intriguing organisms and have fascinated people through the ages. Mushroom collecting is a popular pastime, and the culinary uses for mushrooms are endless. Since ancient Roman times, some species have been considered a delicacy, while others have been put to use as poisons for evil purposes. Eating the wrong mushroom can be fatal, and mistakes are relatively common. MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS provides a complete illustrated guide for the collector to help in distinguishing between poisonous mushrooms and their edible look-a-likes. There is a detailed description of appearance, season and site of growth, showing where confusion may arise. The different types of poisons and the symptoms they produce are fully explained, and some rules for first aid after mushroom poisoning are given. The structure and processes of fungi are described and illustrated with diagrams. MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS is essential for anyone who gathers mushrooms, although the rule of "when in doubt, don't" always applies. MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS provides detailed information on the following subjects: identifying poisonous mushrooms and toadstools, adverse reactions and their symptoms, first aid for poisoning the structure of mushrooms and toadstools, and includes an illustrated guide to edible and poisonous fungi species.