Book reviews

Surprisingly little is known about New Zealand’s fungi, of which many are believed to be unique to New Zealand. The authors estimate that about 2/3 of the expected 22,000 species are unrecorded. This first volume seeks to provide a foundation for understanding New Zealand’s fungi, including taxonomic, ecological, historical and cultural knowledge, along with inventories of recorded species. It is a cooperative initiative by several New Zealand mycologists and a Swiss mycologist (Horak). The next volumes will provide monographic treatments of selected taxonomic or ecological groups of fungi. The book starts with an abstract in English and Maori, and 16 coloured plates which illustrate some of the more conspicuous, colourful and distinctive species found in New Zealand. The first chapter of 48 pages gives a general introduction into the diversity and ecological roles of fungi. Fungi are considered in a broad sense, i. e. including also the fungus-like members of the Protozoa and Chromista. Attention is also drawn to the endangered species of New Zealand. The following chapter gives an overview of the history of taxonomic mycology in New Zealand (31 pages), which began about mid 1800. Chapter 3 reports on the Maori knowledge of fungi (37 pages), which dates from considerably earlier. A key to the genera of agarics and boleti is given by Horak of 19 pages, followed by pages with references to descriptions, illustrations and keys. Chapter 5 counts 197 pages and contains a bibliographic checklist of agarics, boleti and related fungi. Chapter 6 gives a bibliography of New Zealand taxonomic mycology (38 pages), the last chapter gives a checklist of all New Zealand ‘Fungi’ (87 pages), and the book is completed with an index to Chapter 1-3.