Pictorial Atlas of Soil and Seed Fungi: Morphologies of Cultured Fungi and Key to Species (3rd ed.)

I agreed to review the Pictorial Atlas of Soil and Seed Fungi hoping for a colourful introduction to the world of fungi. I should have read the sub‐title first: Morphologies of Cultured Fungi and Key to Species. This work is neither an introduction nor colourful but instead a full‐blown plunge into fungi micomorphology and identification.

Having recovered from the shock of this new universe I have to admit that this is an impressive reference work. Watanabe's Pictorial Atlas contains photographs of nearly 800 fungal specimens, most based on Watanabe's own collection. In common with many other biological taxonomies mycology,...