Books about fungi are always hot sellers, and this colourful, informative guide is a must-have for anyone interested in them. It’s an easy-to-use book that has information and colour photos for 267 species found in New Zealand. From edible mushrooms to downright weird-looking fungi, this is a brilliant pocket-sized addition to this growing series of naturalists’ guides from John Beaufoy Publishing.
The colour photographs are high quality, and you could lose hours marvelling at the different shapes, textures and colours that fungi in New Zealand come in! It truly is astonishing. There are also detailed descriptions of each species, which include size, their characteristics and habitat, and importantly, whether you can eat them or if they are poisonous.
The book has an excellent and readable introduction with an overview about fungi, how to make a spore print, foraging and there is also a very handy glossary. Author Ruben Mita, an ecologist and writer living in Wellington, has done a wonderful job writing this fabulous guide.
Go buy a copy and enjoy foraging and identifying some fungi near where you live!
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
John Beaufoy Publishing