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522 ... Hawksworth, Editor
or photographs of microscopic features. Even though this is in Estonian, it will
be a boon to all wishing to name polypores in the region. The translation was
made possible by a grant from the Estonian Environmental Investment Centre,
and Erast writes that about a third of the print run was being distributed free
of charge to staff and students in Estonian universities, forest pathologists,
nature conservationists, and amateur mycologists. Erast further comments that
“thanks to the possibility to have such a translation, I spared some years of
my life: otherwise I had to compile [a] similar book (as I had promised many
years), surely not better that Tuomo’s one”. What better recommendation could
there be than that?!
Pilzkompendium. Band 2. By Erhard Ludwig. 2007. Fungicon-Verlag, Saalower
Straße 42, D-12307 Berlin, Germany; . Pp. 723 (text volume)
+ plates 205 (plates volume). ISBN 978-3-940316-01-1 (text); 978-3-940316-00-4
(plates). Price 72 € (text) + 138 € (plates).
This is the second part of a magnum opus aiming to illustrate and describe all
the European agarics (plus some other macrofungi) in twelve volumes. This
would be a major challenge for a well-funded consortium of mycologists, but
Erhard Ludwig is writing, painting, and publishing the whole series himself.
To tackle such a project on one’s own is a remarkable achievement. To tackle it
successfully is simply astonishing.
Each part consists of a volume of text together with a large-format (34 x
24 cm) volume of coloured plates. The first part, published in 2001 (and not
received for review by Mycotaxon) dealt with 89 small genera of agarics and
has proved extremely useful as a convenient first source of information on these
often neglected species. An unfamiliar agaric found in England in 2008 was, for
example, quickly tracked down to the genus Callistosporium (not previously
known in Britain) thanks to Pilzkompendium.
This second part is subtitled ‘The larger genera of Agaricales with coloured
spores (except Cortinariaceae)’ and as such deals with Agaricus (plus
Allopsalliota), Conocybe, Coprinus (inclusive of Coprinellus, Coprinopsis,
and Parasola), Entoloma, Lacrymaria, Pholiotina, Pluteus, and Psathyrella.
Altogether, 547 species are illustrated and described.
The text is in German, but each taxon entry starts with a brief English
summary. Separate paragraphs then note macro- and microscopic characters,
similar species, literature references, and details of the collections pictured.
Line drawings illustrate microscopic details. An abbreviated key (leading one
to groups of taxa, rather than individual species) is provided for each genus.
The plates are impressive and beautifully produced. Watercolour paintings
of fungi can often be amateurish in the worst sense – flat, over-stylized, or oddly
coloured. But Erhard Ludwig is an excellent illustrator and his artwork is lifelike