Subject: Universal key to I.D of macrofungi

From: [email-masked] (Mycos)
Date: Tue, 01 Oct 1996 15:57:12 GMT

Anybody out there aware of a large and comprehensive key to the
identification of fungi on the internet? Commonly I find species that
dont exactly fit a description in any of the many field guides, ect. I
possess and am left to wonder if I have found a new species or at
least variant. This is distressing in that a primary goal of my
mycological interest is to find new species yet with the resources
commonly available, there is a large question as to whether I have
simply found a species not described in any of the common field guides
as opposed to a new species. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

                                                       Gary Williams

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From: Thomas ODell <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 15:17:31 -0700

What you need are monographic works on the genera of interest (and later 
publications that include new taxa...). the best source for these 
references are Dictionary of the Fungi 8th ed. 
1995. Hawksworth et al.; and for agaricales, How to identify mushrooms to 
genus VI by D. Largent & T. Baroni 1988 Mad River Press or A literature 
Guide to the Fungi Watling and Watling. also MRP. 
It is not an easy task! good luck!