Book Review
Field Guide to Tropical Amazon Mushrooms
Daniel Winkler, along with colleague Larry Evans, has added another laminated fold-out guide to their lineup, this time on tropical Amazon mushrooms. (See ad for Amazon mushrooms, elsewhere in this issue of FUNGI.) The convenient, light-weight, and affordably priced pocket-sized field guide contains high quality images and brief descriptions of over 80 fungi including their ecological niches and human uses from all major fungal groups. It is based on over a dozen visits to the Amazon by both the authors. Over 20 of these mushrooms are unique to the Amazon, over 50 are found from Mexico to Argentina, and almost as many are found in other tropical zones around the world. This booklet offers a visual way to identify the most commonly encountered mushrooms with special attention to the most stunning and best edible Amazon mushrooms. The guide to Amazon mushrooms is a first; no other guide to Amazon mushrooms exists. I have personally tested all three Winkler guides and their quality is good, the laminated stock holds up well against moisture and just about anything you can throw at them—like a heavy basketful of mushrooms and debris!