Q: I have an interest in learning to identify mushrooms, lichens and fungi that I spot in the woods when I hike. What references do you use?

A: I am definitely not a mycologist (fungus fancier) and I don’t claim to be an agarist (mushroom expert). I DO, however, know folks who definitely fall into both categories.

The Mushroom Club of Georgia meets monthly at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. They also sponsor enjoyable mushroom walks you could participate in.

One book source is an out-of-print book, A Field Guide to Southern Mushrooms, which can be found online.

The recent Mushrooms has an excellent “shape” guide to identification in the front.

see also

Mushroom Identification

Tom Volk’s fungi page

Shape Key to Fungi on Wood

Mushroom Expert.com