The Kingdom of Fungi

by Jens Henrik Petersen

Overview

The essential photographic guide to the world's fungi

The fungi realm has been called the "hidden kingdom," a mysterious world populated by microscopic spores, gigantic mushrooms and toadstools, and a host of other multicellular organisms ranging widely in color, size, and shape. The Kingdom of Fungi provides an intimate look at the world's astonishing variety of fungi species, from cup fungi and lichens to truffles and tooth fungi, clubs and corals, and jelly fungi and puffballs. This beautifully illustrated book features more than 800 stunning color photographs as well as a concise text that describes the biology and ecology of fungi, fungal morphology, where fungi grow, and human interactions with and uses of fungi.

The Kingdom of Fungi is a feast for the senses, and the ideal reference for naturalists, researchers, and anyone interested in fungi.

• Reveals fungal life as never seen before
• Features more than 800 stunning color photos
• Describes fungal biology, morphology, distribution, and uses
• A must-have reference book for naturalists and researchers

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691157542
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	04/28/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	619,787
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jens H. Petersen is a mycologist and photographer. He has taught mycology at Denmark's Aarhus University for more than twenty years and has illustrated several popular books on edible mushrooms.

Table of Contents

• FrontMatter, pg. i
• Contents, pg. 3
• Preface, pg. 4
• Introducing fungal life, pg. 6
• Fungal spores, pg. 8
• Hyphae, pg. 12
• Kinship, pg. 18
• The perfect imperfects, pg. 24
• Fruiting bodies, pg. 34
• The Ascomycota, pg. 46
• The Basidiomycota, pg. 102
• The Zygomycota and other groups, pg. 192
• Fungal ecology, pg. 194
• Fungi in the world, pg. 223
• Fungal future, pg. 254
• Postscript, pg. 259
• Index, pg. 260

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The Kingdom of Fungi melds the traditional classification still found in most field guides with the findings from recent phylogenetic studies. The photographs are absolutely stunning and will be the talk of the town."—Donald H. Pfister, Harvard University

Editorial Reviews

"Beautifully illustrated. . . . An ideal reference for naturalists, researchers and anyone interested in finding out more."

Sussex Wildlife Trust Magazine

"Petersen has been both a mycologist and a fine arts photographer for decades. His ability to capture minute fungal structures while maintaining a stunning aesthetic in the 800-plus photos makes this book an unsurpassed treasure. . . . [I]t would be a showpiece in any specialist's collection. The volume's spectacular images will captivate even the most disinterested individual."

Choice

"A lavish work. . . . [A] book with a message about both the beauty and importance of fungi that should be widely available in bookshops worldwide and so help raise the global awareness of kingdom Fungi. I cannot commend it too strongly, and if you have not yet seen it you are in for a real treat—perhaps a mycologist's equivalent of being a kid in a candy store."

IMA Fungus

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013

From the Publisher

"The Kingdom of Fungi is a feast for the senses, and the ideal reference for naturalists, researchers, and anyone interested in fungi."

Northeastern Naturalist

An instant classic. . . . The book's 800+ photographs accomplish a singular feat: they display the diagnostic features of a particular species—gill attachment or lack thereof, apothecial hairs, etc.—without sacrificing esthetics. . . . The text is remarkable, too. It describes the ecology and biology of fungi, where fungi grow, and human interactions with fungi.

Boston Mycological Club Bulletin - Lawrence Millman