Myrl Jeffcoat wrote:

Does anyone have a favorite book title, for wild mushroom
identification? I'm often around where there are wild mushrooms, but
have never collected any, because I don't know how to tell the edible
ones from the poisonous.

You are in Sacramento? For your area, the best books are the
two by David Arora.

This one is a pocket guide, with many color photos:
http://tinyurl.com/ozx7a

This one is more encyclopedic: http://tinyurl.com/pahof

I recommend those in particular not only because they are
excellent books, but because the mushroom flora varies from
place to place, and they are written by a local expert.

The Audubon guide by Lincoff is also good, but Arora is better
for your area.

BEWARE of those generic, large-format, glossy mushroom books
sometimes found in bookstores. Many of them are translations
of European books and, while there is a good deal of overlap,
you would be much better off with a local book.

Finally, I suggest you join (or at least go walking with) a
local mycological club. Such clubs usually have a published
schedule. Though it can be very pleasurable, mushroom picking
is a risky business for most who try to learn it alone.
Mushroom ID is no harder than tree ID, but the stakes are
higher, and some experienced help is useful for the beginner.

Mike
On the North Carolina coast - Zone 8a
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