This well-organized reference guide to wild mushrooms will aid professional mycologists, students, and mushroom enthusiasts alike with its accurate and detailed identification tools. It provides nomenclaturally and scientifically accurate accounts of the unusually wide range of mushrooms in the Southeast, from northerly species found in North Georgia and North Carolina to the subtropical and even tropical species found in the Piedmont. Comprehensive in scope, this guide offers a thoughtful approach to solving taxonomy and identification problems. Features: -Coverage of 24 genera and 450 species -More than 1,000 color photographs that aid in identification -Line drawings that detail the complicated and subtle structures of fungi -Classification of seldom-seen species as well as those most familiar in the region -Sections on toxic and psychoactive properties of some fungi -Warnings about the dangers of some mushroom varieties

This richly illustrated field guide serves as an introduction to the wildflowers and plant communities of the southern Appalachians and the rolling hills of the adjoining piedmont. Rather than organizing plants, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, by flower color or family characteristics, as is done in most guidebooks, botanist Tim Spira takes a holistic, ecological approach that enables the reader to identify and learn about plants in their natural communities. This approach, says Spira, better reflects the natural world, as plants, like other organisms, don't live in isolation; they coexist and interact in myriad ways. Full-color photo keys allow the reader to rapidly preview plants found within each of the 21 major plant communities described, and the illustrated species description for each of the 340 featured plants includes fascinating information about the ecology and natural history of each plant in its larger environment. With this new format, readers can see how the mountain and piedmont landscapes form a mosaic of plant communities that harbor particular groups of plants. The volume also includes a glossary, illustrations of plant structures, and descriptions of sites to visit. Whether you're a beginning naturalist or an expert botanist, this guidebook is a useful companion on field excursions and wildflower walks, as well as a valuable reference. Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press

With its dense forests and plentiful rainfall, West Virginia and the rest of the Central Appalachian region is an almost perfect habitat for hundreds of varieties of wild mushrooms. For the mushroom hunter, this vast bounty provides sheer delight and considerable challenge, for every outdoor excursion offers the chance of finding a mushroom not previously encountered. For both the seasoned mycologist and the novice mushroom hunter, Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians serves as a solid introduction s of the region. Some 400 species are described and illustrated with the author's own stunning color photographs, and many more are discussed in the text. Detailed mushroom descriptions assure confident identifications. Each species account includes remarks about edibility and extensive commentary to help distinguish similar species. A comprehensive glossary of specialized mycological terms is provided.

Build Relationships with Faeries and Connect with Nature on a Deep, Soul Level The natural world is integral to our spiritual and magical lives and the lives of faeries and nature spirits. With this book, you'll discover how plants bridge the worlds and help us work with these extraordinary beings. Drawing from folklore, history, and personal experience, Sandra Kynes teaches you all about faery magic and the unique ways that plants enhance your connection to the fae. This comprehensive guide presents over one hundred profiles of common and obscure plants associated with faeries and nature spirits. Grow bracken fern to attract faeries to your property. Hold a small bundle of vervain to help you communicate with nature spirits. Set out a bowl of blackberries as a token of friendship. With hands-on activities and exercises, this book shows you how to journey to faeryland, conduct dreamwork, and heal both yourself and the planet.

Mushrooms of the Southeast is a compact, beautifully illustrated guide packed with descriptions and photographs of more than 400 of the region’s most important mushrooms. The geographic range covered by the book includes northern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. In addition to profiles on individual species, the book also includes a general discussion and definition of fungi, information on where to find mushrooms and collection guidelines, an overview of fungus ecology, and information on mushroom poisoning and how to avoid it.

The weather patterns and topography of America's Gulf Coast create favorable growing conditions for thousands of species of mushrooms, but the complete region has generally gone unchartered when it comes to mycology. Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States at last delivers an in-depth, high-quality, user-friendly field guide, featuring more than 1,000 common and lesser-known species—some of which are being illustrated in color for the first time. Using easily identifiable characteristics and a color key, the authors enable anyone, whether amateur mushroom hunter or professional mycologists, to discern and learn about the numerous species of mushrooms encountered in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Wild-food enthusiasts will appreciate the information on edibility or toxicity that accompanies each description, and they will also find the book’s detailed instructions for collecting, cleaning, testing, preserving, and cooking wild mushrooms to be of great interest. Providing encyclopedic knowledge in a handy format that fits in a backpack, Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States is a must-have for any mushroom lover.

This guide to common and unique plants found in forests of the Southeast thoroughly covers 330 species of forbs (herbaceous plants), grasses, vines, and shrubs, with a special emphasis on the plants role in wildlife sustenance. Packed with detailed color photographs, the book is a must-have for forest landowners, game and wildlife managers, biologists, outdoors enthusiasts, students--anyone with an interest in the intricate and often unexpected interrelationships between the flora and fauna of our regions forests. Features: Descriptions of native and nonnative (exotic or invasive) plants, including 330 species of forbs, in 180 genera: grasses, sedges, and rushes; woody vines and semiwoody plants; shrubs; palms and yucca; cane; cactus; ferns; and ground lichen 650 color photos Map of physiographic provinces 56 simple black-and-white drawings of flower parts, flower types, and inflorescences, leaf arrangements, leaf divisions, shapes, and margins, and parts of a grass plant Glossary Index of genera by family, index by wildlife species, and index of scientific and common names