| Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists Contributor(s): Money, Nicholas P. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0195171586 ISBN-13: 9780195171587 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $37.04 Product Type: Paperback Published: April 2004 Annotation: Stinkhorns, puffballs, the "corpse finder, " deadly galerina, Satan's bolete, birch conks, black mold, the old man of the woods--this wonderful tour explores the mysterious world of mushrooms, molds and fungi lying unnoticed right at our feet. 12 halftones. 30 line illustrations. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Science | Life Sciences - Biology - Nature | Plants - Mushrooms - Science | History |
| Dewey: 579.5 |
| Lexile Measure: 1400 |
| Physical Information: 0.66" H x 5.88" W x 8.84" (0.73 lbs) 224 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Stinkhorns, puffballs, the corpse finder, deadly Galerina, Satan's bolete, birch conks, black mold, the old man of the woods--the world of fungi is infinitely varied and not a little weird. Now, in Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard, Nicholas Money introduces readers to a dazzling array of fungi, from brewer's yeast and Penicillium to the highly lethal death cap. We learn of Madurella, which can erode bones until they look moth-eaten; Cordyceps, which wracks insects with convulsions, kills them, then sends a stalk out of the insect's head to release more infectious spores; and Claviceps, the poisonous ergot fungus, which causes hallucinations. Money also showcases the lives of famed mycologists--including Reginald Buller who wore horse blinders as he walked to work, the better to study luminescent fungi in his dark lab, and Charles Tulasne, the Audubon of fungi, whose illustrations of specimens border on art. And he recounts his own childhood introduction to fungi in Mr. Bloomfield's orchard, where trees and fruit were devoured by a rogue's gallery of bitter rot, canker, rust, powdery mildew, rubbery wood, and scab. Replete with historical photographs and simple yet effective illustrations, told with a refreshing sense of humor, Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard will fascinate anyone interested in the natural world. |