THE ENTOLOMATACEAE OF TASMANIA BY MACHIEL E. NOORDELOOS & GENEVIEVE M. GATES: A BOOK REVIEW BY JUAN CAMILO RODRÍGUEZ MARTÍNEZ

 

The monumental jointly published research of Machiel E. Noordeloos and Genevieve M. Gates on the Entolomataceae family of fungi in Tasmania will be remembered for many years as one of the most specific and best achieved researches in the history of mycology and fungal taxonomy.  The results of 14 years of research are brilliantly exposed in this book published by the prestigious academy publisher Springer.

The main authors of the project in the course of the project received help from other researchers which would give the research an international character reflected in the impeccable research.

Those who collaborated on the project in addition to Genevieve and Gates and Machiel Noordeloos were the researchers David Ratkowsky, Michael Pilkington, and Fernanda Karstedt who with their brilliant contributions make this publication an excellent book.

The introduction is facinating. The climates and the different descriptions of the terrains present on the island are given to the reader in the first pages.. The reader is introduced to the context of the research. The results are presented in a simple way but you can feel page after page the arduous and disciplined research behind this fabulous project. It basically reads like a mushroom guide. Guidelines are given at the beginning of the reading. The work of Springer Publishing House is very professional and academic. It feels like an invitation to the laboratory. The language of the book is very technical.

One feels like running a computer program while reading this wonderful work. The tables that accompany the reading are of great complement to understand the research exposed. The growth patterns of fungi belonging to the family Entolomataceae are compared with respect to the growth of other types of fungi. The maps are very well done. The quality of the letters and the graphics are outstanding. The printing and bounding its very good. The photograph of the mushrooms is beautiful and colorful. A great photographic work is also found in the pages of this book.

The description of 100 species of fungi belonging to the family Entolomataceae are given by the authors of this book. 90 fungi belonging to the genus Entoloma and 10 species belonging to the genus Clitopilus are documented. Accompanied by photos and drawings that make the descriptions a pleasant and dynamic reading for specialized mycologists and those interested in the subject they want to learn. A tribute to the island of Tasmania and its fungal biodiversity.

The Island of Tasmania is located in the country of Australia.




The descriptions of the fungi are very specific. The microscopic and macroscopic details are beautifully and technically described. A masterful job. The description of the spores in each species described in the book is a great contribution to the world mycological literature.

The colors of the pileus. If it is striated and changes color when it is hurt and dried. The different types of lamella and the presence or lack of cystidia in the basidiocarp. All the details that can allow the identification of the fungus are detailed in the academic research.

Detailed microscopic descriptions of fungi include details of the cystidia, basidia, spore form, and pilepellis. Characteristics that are faithfully drawn for each species of fungus exposed in this wonderful text. Some other features like the pileitrama and the stipitipellis are documented.

The differences of one species with respect to another can be determined by microscopic characteristics. Many species resemble each other when viewed macroscopically.

Many times only a microscopic observation or a molecular analysis of the species determines its phylogeny and its exact location in the fungal taxonomy. 

Something that is also surprising is the consignment of the findings. Each species described in the book comes with a list documenting the places and times where the collections were found. The coordinates appear next to each place.

At the end of the description of each species, other species that resemble it or have similar macroscopic or microscopic characteristics are listed.

It is a very good job that over the years has been consolidating as one of the most dedicated and best-achieved investigations in the history of world mycology.

Many of the observations reported in this book are now out of date but remain a precedent for future researchers and future research in Tasmania.

It is one of the best and most complete mycology books that have been written and if you have the opportunity to read it, take advantage of it.

You will enjoy it

A brief Q&A section with Genevieve Gates...

SCM: Is there an Entoloma sp mushroom that has been only found once in Tasmania?
GG: Yes, but it may not be in the book because it was found later. Entoloma virensces.

SCM: Have some new species of Entoloma had been found to this date since the book was published and are not featured in it like E. virescens?

GG: I have about 20 species that I didnt publish because there wasnt sufficient collections. They don´t have names.

SCM: How do you do to find so many Entolomataceae?... What kind of environments they seek to live?

GG: In Europe they like grasslands as do  Hygrocybes . Here they are everywhere in the bush, in pastures, the school oval!!! On the weeds.

SCM: Do you think that the indigenous inhabitants of Aboriginal Australia used mushrooms for ritual purposes in ancient times? 
GG: No

SCM: It seems Entoloma copies features of other species I Was thinking, do you think there could be Psilocybin producing Entoloma? Other mushroom genus produce Psilocybin like Gymnopilus, Panaeolus, Some Pluteus and even there had been some Galerinas documented among other species. What do you think?

GG: No, someone would have found out by now jaja