The Distinctive gilled fungi guide covers 40 species of fungi found in Britain and Ireland. Gilled fungi are the ‘mushroom’ style fungi which produce their spores from gills on the underside of a protective cap.

Specially-drawn colour illustrations highlight the main features to look out for. Text on the reverse side details key identification features, cap width, months and habitat for each species.

Fungi are an ancient form of life, diverse and mysterious. You never quite know when and where they will show themselves. Good places to look include woodland edges and clearings, parkland, grassland, meadows and lawns, hedgerows and roadside verges. Although most common in autumn, some may be seen all year round.

Unfortunately identifying fungi seems daunting to beginners. Many species look very similar. Moreover many species lack a common name, and even their scientific names are prone to change from time to time! Many fungi identification books – although brilliant in the hands of experts – look long and intimidating.

So where do you start? A good strategy is to learn to recognise common and distinctive species. The authors of this new guide have chosen 40 species that are not easily confused with any others. It is both possible to make reliable identifications in the field without using specialist equipment, and there is no need to collect a specimen.