Ainsworth & Bisby's Dictionary of the Fungi (9th edition) edited by P. M. Kirk, P. F. Cannon , J. C. David and J. A. Stalpers (2001) Pp. 655. ISBN 0-85199-377-X (Hard cover). CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK. Price £49.95; US$90.

The Dictionary of the Fungi is surely one of the most indispensable of all mycological publications – every student of the fungi should own, or have access to, a copy of the most recent edition. This 9th edition is a worthy scion of the line, and contains a wealth of up-to-date information, much of which can otherwise be found only if one has access to a huge spectrum of publications. Its compilation must have been a daunting task, even for four editors, and even given the background material provided by the previous edition. It is a work of considerable scholarship, and its editors have done a great service to mycology, despite some accusations of incompleteness that can be levelled against it. The first thing that a reviewer must admit is that one cannot possibly keep abreast of all the advances being made in mycological knowledge. This review is, therefore, bound to reflect personal interests (relatively broad as these may be) and prejudices (narrow as they may be). Clearly, it would be impossible to work one's way conscientiously from A to Z in any reasonable time frame. The alternative, which has been adopted, is to do a large number of quick scans and spot checks. My criticisms and recommendations are bound to be different from anyone else's. I hope, however, that they will provide useful indications of the strengths and weaknesses of the book.

A magnificent set of fungal stamps was issued in New Zealand as a miniature sheet (Fig 1) and as individual stamps on 6th March 2002. They illustrate, with six colourful examples, some of the diversity of the basidiomycetes. These are the first stamps about fungi to be issued in New Zealand, although a set of health stamps issued in 1977 showed drawings of children studying a bird, a frog and a butterfly with a few fruit bodies of fly agarics in the foreground. In 1988, the 40c value of a set of stamps depicting native birds shows a brown kiwi apparently looking at some small fungal fruitbodies. These stamps are illustrated and described in McKenzie (1997). Details of the species depicted in this recent set are given below.

Two closely related chemoecological groups of fungi, the ammonia fungi and the postputrefaction fungi, have been associated with the decomposition by-products of cadavers. Sporocarps have been observed in disparate woodlands across the world and often mark sites of graves. These groups of fungi provide visible markers of the sites of cadaver decomposition and follow repeated patterns of successional change as apparent decomposition proceeds. We suggest these phenomena may become a useful tool for crime scene investigation, forensic archaeology and forensic taphonomy.

A new species of corticolous myxomycete, Licea margaritacea, is described from bark of sycamore and Norway maple trees growing by the River Nith in Dumfries.

Name of fungus

Phaffia rhodozyma W. M. Miller et al.

Introduction: Features of interest

Carotenoids are a group of over 600 molecules which can be found in most life forms and fulfil diverse functions, ranging from their original evolutionary role as photosynthetic or light-quenching pigments to antioxidants, precursors of vitamin A, or pigments involved in the visual attraction of animals such as flower pollinators or mating partners (Johnson & Schroeder, 1995). They are also thought to reduce the incidence of cancer and degenerative diseases in man, probably due at least partly to their antioxidant role in protecting sensitive biological molecules from highly reactive oxygen species or free radicals (Bendich & Olson, 1989; Nishino et al., 1999). Carotenoids are synthesized de novo by many bacteria, all photosynthetic algae and higher plants, as well as some fungi, but not by animals which must therefore satisfy any carotenoid requirement they have from their diet. Thus, for instance in marine ecosystems, planktonic algae are thought to be the primary producers of carotenoids which then pass through the food chain, eventually accumulating in crustaceans and fish feeding on them (Johnson & Schroeder, 1995). This is true especially of astaxanthin, a natural derivative of the most abundant carotenoid, ß-carotene, which gives many marine crustaceans as well as salmonid fish their typical orange-red colouration (Johnson & An, 1991). Considerable quantities of astaxanthin must be added to the feed of farmed salmon in order to obtain a healthy crop of fish as well as satisfying the eye of the consumer (Meyers, 1994). Astaxanthin may even contribute to the taste of cooked salmon (Josephson et al., 1991).

Puccinia antirrhini Dietel & Holway is present in England and Wales on Antirrhinum molle L. It has apiculate distal ends to teliospores borne on pedicels which are twice the length of the spores, as is sometimes the case on Antirrhinum majus L.