Fungal Diversity Book reviews Books for consideration to review in this section should be posted to the Editor-in-chief. Rating system Exceptional/brilliant. Excellent. Good’ Has merit Not worth reading keys can be used easily by expert and amateur Agaricales of New Zealand 1. Pluteaceae- mycologists. Entolomataceae by Egon Horak, The Fungi of New Zealand, Volume 5 Fungal Diversity Press 2008, 305 pages, hard back ISBN 978-988-99320-1-5. New Zealand mycologists studied fungi during the late 19th Century and especially since the early 20th Century. The Fungi of New Zealand Series through Fungal Diversity Research Series consists of monographs of fungal groups occurring in New Zealand. This volume is a monograph and definitive treatment of the pink-spored agarics in the families Pluteaceae and Entolomataceae. Even though New Zealand is relatively small in area, the biodiversity is so distinctive because of its geographic isolation for over 50 millions years. Therefore 36% of species (39 new species from One hundred and eight species are 108 species) that are described in this book as described critically. Each species description new to science is not unexpected. includes the full name, list of synonyms, This book deals with the genera Pluteus macroscopic and microscopic features, material and Volvariella in Pluteaceae and Claudopus, sources, habitat, distribution, etymology along Clitopilus, Entoloma, Pouzarella, Rhodoma- with exquisite illustrations. Most species is taceae and Richoniella in Entolomataceae. The also provided with notes about this species keys to species level in each genus are well diagnostic morphological characters, dif- presented as are the keys to Orders of Holo- ferences with similar species in morphological basidiomycetidae with agaricoid and boletoid and ecological features. mushrooms, families and genera in those two Although this volume contains many families. The keys make liberal use of technical species which are only recorded in New terms and microscopic features, so that the Zealand, this volume will be great value in the reader requires some basic mushroom identification of the species from Southeast knowledge for identification. However, the Asia. In addition some species are introduced 175 from other areas to New Zealand, so that would a unique fire-prone shrubland habitat in South be very interesting to compare the different Africa with high plant diversity and a high aspects with those species. Generally the degree of floral endemism. This book deals critical descriptions, keys, high quality line with fungi on the Proteaceae which themselves drawings and colorful plates would not only are rather unique stout plants with persistent help the reader to understand the fungi in New flowerheads. The book comprises an Intro- Zealand, but also is a good book in iden- duction which deals with location, the Fynbos, tification and used in related other research. fire, the plants, studies on microfungi and the aims of the study. The latter being to establish whether the diversity of microfungi is similar to the high diversity of plants. There is a Table of plant pathogenic fungi on Proteaceae followed by a list of fungi known to occur on Proteaceae prior to this study. As with all Fungi of New Zealand series this book is good. It is well illustrated with some colour microphotographs and well written text. The detailed discussion of genera and additions of new species or illustrations of known species will add significantly to our understanding of fungi and because of this all mycologists should see this book. Rating: Recommendation: The book should be available in all Universities and colleges and any research institute where research in any aspect of mycology is carried out or where The materials and methods section lists mycology is taught. the study area and host plants, laboratory Cost: US$80.00 procedures, and biodiversity analyses. This Order from: www.fungaldiversity.org includes some nice colour photographs of the plants studied. Microfungi occurring on Proteaceae in the The main section of the book deals with fynbos the 141 fungal species found and their by Seonju Marincowitz, Pedro.W. Crous, taxonomy. There are 59 species and two genera Johannes Z. Groenewald and Michael J. which are new to science, eight of which have Wingfield previously been published, while 38 of the CBS, Utrecht, Netherlands species collected are new records for South May 2008, 166 pages, hardback Africa and 48 new to the Proteaceae. The entry ISBN 978-90-70351-71-7 for each new species comprises the Mycobank number, a reasonably detailed description and a This lovely colourful book results from several nice colour plate detailing most characters. In years work on the fungi in the fynbos which is most cases there is a fairly lengthy discussion 176 Fungal Diversity on the genus and justifying the introduction of The Mycota: Fungal Genomics the new species. There is a lot of data here. The Edited A.J.P. Brown authors have carefully identified their taxa and Springer obtained references to justify their naming of 2006, 275 pages, hardback taxa or new species. This is a very important ISBN 978-3-540-25594-9 book for anyone dealing with ascomycetes and their anamorphs as the taxa are well illustrated and will serve to gain a better understanding of genus concepts. This is a very important text summari-zing the The final part deals with the diversity of work on fungal phylogenetics to July 2005. microfungi on fynbos Proteaceae. This is an The book claims to illustrate the current impact interesting part and adds further data con- and potential future impact of genomics in cerning the ecology and diversity of microfungi different fungal species and also show how which have generally been poorly studied. genomic is being applied to answer a diverse As with all books coming out of CBS range of interesting questions in mycology. these days this book is good. It is very well The chapters illustrate the fundamental illustrated with colour microphotographs and principles of fungal genomics; in three well written text. The detailed discussion of sections: biochemistry and molecular genetics, genera and additions of new species or fungal rhythms and responses and fungal illustrations of known species will add pathogenicity. significantly to our understanding of micro- Twenty-six authors have contributed to fungi and because of this all mycologists this volume in 13 chapters. Scrolling down the should see this book. chapters I did not recognize any of the authors, I love this book. A huge amount of work suggesting this book is either biased to has gone into compiling this book and it should medically or industrial micro-organisms. The be in the library of all mycologists for its first Chapter deals with the yeast Saccharomy- wealth of information. ces cerevisae which is proposed as a model organism for understanding the eukaryotic cell Rating: in a holoblastic and integrated manner. The Recommendation: The book should be second Chapter also deals with Saccharomyces available in all Universities and colleges and cerevisae, this time with genome evolution, any research institute where research in any while Chapter 3 explores the evolution of aspect of mycology is carried out or where virulence by functional genomics. I tried hard mycology is taught. to extract some overall meaningful conclusions Cost: €50.00 from these Chapters. Basically it comes down Order from: www.cbs.knaw.nl to - by sequencing more genomes of the 177 species we can have a better understanding of Recommendation: Should be available in all their functioning. libraries having any association with mycological research, plant pathology, genomics or medical research. Cost: Hardback ₤107.00, US$199.00, €143.95.00 Order from: www.springer.com Agaricus L. Allopsalliota Nauta & Bas By Luis Alberto Parra Sánchez Fungi Euopaei Volume 1 2008, 824 pages, hardback ISBN 88-901057-7-1 Chapter 4 deals with Neurospora and particularly circadian rhythms and photo- biology., but again stressing on the importance of this fungus as a model organism. Chapter 5 deals with protein secretion and hyphal growth in Aspergillus, Chapter 6 in stress response in fission yeast and Chapter 7 in programmed cell death in fungi. Cellular morphology in Candida albicans is analysis by genomics in Chapter 8. The final section on fungal pathogenicity deals with approaches to analyze pathogenicity (Chapter 9), integration of metabolism with This is one beautiful book and the amount of virulence (Chapter 10), regulators of patho- work that has gone into this is colossal. It is the genicity (Chapter 11) all in Candida albicans. work of a passionate mycologist and is a work Chapter 12 uses genomics to investigate the of art. Congratulations Luis on producing such life cycle of Histoplasma capsulatum and a beautiful book. Chapter 13 deals with Cryptococcus neofor- The first part of the book deals with mans pathogenicity. various problems with Agaricus, the This book is very specialized and is of etymology, the nomenclature and typification interested to those dealing with uses of and the historic revision of the genus. The next genomics in organisms. It is not something part looks at the principal characters in the most mycologists would follow unless they genus which are beautifully illustrated with were deeply interested in genomic functioning carefully prepared photos of fresh mushrooms. in the fungi. Staining is illustrated so carefully and expli- The book is well written but rather citly and in colour and the whole section is complex, has many models and flow diagrams, very very detailed. In the next section the and brings together the latest on fungal importance of morphological characters are genomics. Chapters could have benefited from discussed and species concepts are briefly dealt an abstract for each chapter but otherwise this with. Edibility and toxicity are dealt with in the is a very useful text.