This book is the first comprehensive field guide to the mushrooms of the Northwest - that region which covers the area from Alaska to northern California and from Saskatchewan and Montana to the Pacific Coast. A total of 550 species are meticulously illustrated and dealt with in the text. With accurate scientific information and superb illustrations, this book appeals to readers who are scientifically or artistically inclined. The classification overview and keys to color illustrations simplify identification. Each species description includes thorough information on habitat, distribution, identifying characteristics, edibility and the poisonous look-alike species. Written in everyday language, the book is an accessible reference for both the professional mycologist and the amateur naturalist.

HELENE SCHALKWIJK-BARENDSEN has spent many years collecting mushrooms in western Canada, especially near her cabin at Sandy Lake, Alberta. In the process, she has come across thousands of different species. Helene also has been painting the fungi where she finds them for almost 40 years. She says, "When I spotted a mushroom new to me, I sat down and painted it in its own environment, always life size. When the painting was finished I collected a few of the mushrooms in different stages of development, and used them back at home to record further details in my sketchbook and to prepare dried specimens to send to several academic contacts who used them in their research."

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