Morphology and Taxonomy of Fungi [antikvár]

PREFACE In the over fifteen years that have elapsed since the publication of the author's "A Text-book of Mycology,"' the subject has experienced many changes. The subject of Medical Mycology has gained greatly in interest and there has arisen a great realization of the importance of those fungi whose antibiotic products have become indispensable in the treatment of many maladies of Man and other animals. It has therefore become apparent that an entirely new work is necessary, not merely as a textbook for students but also to assist the many persons now undertaking research in the various fields of study in which the knowledge of fungi is fundamental to their work. Although in some features the present work follows the framework of the older Text-book it has been entirely rewritten and greatly enlarged. Aside from the above-mentioned special fields of study, investigations of the microscopic soil and water fungi, both parasitic and saprophytic, which comprise the simplest forms, in structure at least, have revealed hundreds of species and many new genera, families, and even orders. Thus great numbers of fungi are now known where but few were recognized less than two decades ago. This has compelled radical revisions in the classification of the lower fungi. In the higher fungi, especially the Basidiomyceteae, many new species and genera have been described. Above all, studies in the anatomy and chemical reactions of these new as well as of the old, long known species have shown the artificiality of the old Friesian system of classification. This has led to radical revisions which beyond doubt indicate far more correctly the true relationships and phylogeny of the members of this class. Yet here, there still remains so much to be done that mycologists are not at all in agreement as to the ultimate system of classification to be used. With so many points still in disagreement, it is impossible for a book of this type to settle these matters beyond dispute. The author, therefore, while taking a middle ground in many disputed areas, has attempted to show those using this book the various points of conflict and opposing 'Bessey, Ernst Athearn: A Text-book of Mycology, xv -f- 495 pp., 139 figs., Philadelphia, Blakiston, 1935.