In Illustrated Genera of Smut Fungi, Third Edition, the world's top authority on the topic, Dr. Kálmán Vánky, uses molecular phylogenetic analyses and extensive collecting activity to bring you a better and expanded classification of smut fungi. In this third edition, 104 recognized genera of smut fungi are identified, described and illustrated, compared to the second edition, in which 77 genera are identified. While Illustrated Genera presents many theoretical aspects in connection with smut fungi, it particularly helps readers recognize and identify in which genus it belongs. It also discusses problems with smut fungi classification, stimulating researchers to solve them. Identification is made easier in this edition through 116 black and white illustrations, amended descriptions, and a new key to the smut fungus genera, one based on host plant families. And with the help of the recently published Smut Fungi of the World, Dr. Vánky's complementary book on this important topic, the nearly 1,700 known species of smut fungi can be identified. This reference source provides stimulation and utility for all interested in mycology, phytopathology, taxonomy, and botany, including students, teachers, researchers, government- scientists, and even amateurs. Every diagnostic lab and agricultural library should have access to the new update of this classic manual. With more than 60 years of research and experience in the field of smut fungi, resulting in the description of more than 400 new species, 46 new genera, and 12 new families published in more than 225 papers and several books, Dr. Kálmán Vánky, world authority on the smut fungi, presents highly scientific work in an easily understandable form.

"This outstanding book is an essential tool in helping the scientific community to identify smut fungi everywhere. It includes keys to the genera and species and a host plant-smut fungus list and compiles more than 3,500 micrographs and line drawings into a single sourcebook.This nearly 1,500-page treatise is authored by the worldwide authority on the subject, Dr. Kálmán Vánky, who has spent more than 50 years collecting and describing smut fungi species. The book provides complete and detailed presentations of species in 93 genera through descriptions and illustrations. The book updates our knowledge of valid scientific names and synonyms and provides taxonomic references and the host plant range of each species. Dr. Vánky's passion for the topic shines through on every page through the excellent illustrations and detailed descriptions which complement each other to make identification easier. Having all content in a single volume allows the reader to flip back and forth between similar looking fungi for detailed comparison and analysis"--Pub. desc.

Mycology, the study of fungi, originated as a subdiscipline of botany and was a des criptive discipline, largely neglected as an experimental science until the early years of this century. A seminal paper by Blakeslee in 1904 provided evidence for self incompatibility, termed "heterothallism", and stimulated interest in studies related to the control of sexual reproduction in fungi by mating-type specificities. Soon to follow was the demonstration that sexually reproducing fungi exhibit Mendelian inheritance and that it was possible to conduct formal genetic analysis with fungi. The names Burgetf, Kniep and Lindegren are all associated with this early period of fungal genet ics research. These studies and the discovery of penicillin by Fleming, who shared a Nobel Prize in 1945, provided further impetus for experimental research with fungi. Thus began a period of interest in mutation induction and analysis of mutants for biochemical traits. Such fundamental research, conducted largely with Neurospora crassa, led to the one gene: one enzyme hypothesis and to a second Nobel Prize for fungal research awarded to Beadle and Tatum in 1958. Fundamental research in biochemical genetics was extended to other fungi, especially to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and by the mid-1960s fungal systems were much favored for studies in eukaryotic molecular biology and were soon able to compete with bacterial systems in the molecular arena.

This is an illustrated guide to trapping, identifying and quantifying airborne biological particles such as fungus, plant spores and pollen. Including a comprehensive review of what is in the air and detailing the historical development of theories leading to modern aerobiology, the book explains the fundamental processes behind airborne dispersal and techniques used to sample, identify and quantify biological particles. Includes photographs and 9 colour reproductions of paintings of airborne particles.

The variety of the mycological world is far greater than most people imagine. Tens of thousands of fungal species have been described and many more are known only from the abundance of their genes in soil and water. Fungi are hugely important as agents of wood decay in forests, and, as parasites, they have caused the deaths of millions of people by ravaging crops and reshaping natural ecosystems. Fungi perform a variety of essential functions in ecosystems, and are important to both agriculture and biotechnology. Their importance is now becoming better appreciated among scientists, though there is much still to be understood concerning their taxonomy and evolution. This Very Short Introduction highlights the variety and extraordinary natures of fungi, revealing the remarkable facts of fungal biology and the global significance of these enchanting organisms. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.