In this monograph all 93 spceies of smut fungi known from New Zealand (plus one species found only in a quarantine, containment glasshouse) are described, and most are illustrated with line drawings of their habit on the host plants and by photomicrographs fo their spores, taken by both scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. There is a key to the 25 genera of smut fungi known from New Zealand, and the 216 host/pathogen combinations in New Zealand are listed.

In this book, the natural history of New Zealand's North Island, from Lake Taupo up, is described, including geology, soils, climate, flora and fauna. Chapters on different habitats are included, including forests, shrublands, wetlands and the coast.

New Zealand's fungi are rich in variety and host interactions, vast in number, and often unique to New Zealand. Yet an estimated two-thirds of the expected 22,000 species remain unrecorded. This volume seeks to provide a foundation for understanding New Zealand's fungi, including taxonomic, ecological, historical, and cultural knowledge about fungi, along with inventories of recorded species. This book represents a cooperative initiative by several New Zealand mycologists, in conjunction with a Swiss colleague.