What is the definative guide to British fungi, edability and uses?

[Front Room Woodlander]

Many of us ask fungi questions.

Now is the time of the fungi.

(I have an interest in providing free food for my family)

What is the most definative guide to the identification of fungi, whether they are edible or what other uses they may have?

[spoony]

Roger phillips mushrooms

[rawshak]

I would second Roger Philips' book as an excellent choice. However, in practice, I find that it is best to have at least three or four guides from different authors to cross-refrence your findings.

If you're in the field, then Roger Philips book, while pretty definative, is a little unweildy, and not the easiest to refrence sometimes. I'd start with the little Colins Gem guide, for initial ID and then confirm with your other guides once home.

[TallMikeM]

I used a good one last year, but for the life of me can't think what it was called. I think it was either the phillips one or Collins Complete one. I'd avoid ones dealing with only edible 'shrooms, as a lot of the nasty ones look kinda similar to the edible ones. They're useful, as someone else said, as a backup (and not all complete guide types tell you if a 'shroom is edible or not) or second source of info. You may find your local library has several books on the subject, can be good for a try before you buy kinda thing.

[Cyclingrelf]

Another one for Roger Phillips. You can see some of his stuff online:
http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/

[robin wood]

Philips for your definitive photo guide so that once you have a shroom you fancy eating you can check there are no others that it could be. Also you want a really simple one that tells you the 10-20 best shrooms to look out for I think I started with food for free.

[FGYT]

definaly not one about

I use a few books and cross ref the pages in pencil so a ID book (eg colins Nature guide) has the page no and book to the edible book (eg food for free) usually with a reverse Ref to

ATB

Duncan

[atross]

I use a combination of Philips and the River cottage handbook

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mushrooms-River-Cottage-Handbook-No-1/dp/0747589321/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258362868&sr=1-4

I like the river cottage book, as with each of the edible shrooms it has which ones you can confuse them with (including photos) and how to distinguish them apart

[Front Room Woodlander]

Thank you.

How about on-line guides?

[rawshak]

This one is very good, with a great search facility.

http://www.mushrooms.org.uk/default.asp

[Matthew.Passmore]

If I was allowed only 1 it would be Rodger Phillips "Mushrooms" the big A4 one.

[rik_uk3]

Try and go out with someone who has REAL experience, I still don't trust myself to go it alone. Better safe than relying on a picture.