Christiaan Hendrik Persoon

The genus Amanita contains about 600 described species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species (and many species of unknown edibility). The genus is responsible for 95% of fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for 90% of fatalities every year. The most potent toxin synthesized by this genus is α-Amanitin. The genus also contains many edible mushrooms, but mycologists discourage mushroom hunters from selecting any of these for human consumption due to the potentially lethal

Coprinus comatus, commonly known as the shaggy ink cap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane, is a species of fungus. The young fruit bodies first appear as white cylinders emerging from the ground, then the bell-shaped caps open out. The white caps are covered with scales, the origin of its common names. The gills beneath the cap are white, then pink, then turn black. This mushroom is unusual because it will turn black and dissolve itself in a matter of hours after being picked or depositing spores. The mushroom is often seen growing about lawns, gravel roads, and waste areas in the Northern

Amanita caesarea, commonly known as Caesar's mushroom, is a species of fungus in the genus Amanita. While it was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1772, it was a favorite of early rulers of the Roman Empire. The mushroom has a distinctive orange cap, yellow gills and stipe, and contains organic acids. The species resembles poisonous species including fly agaric. A. caesarea is found in North Africa, Eurasia, and North America. It is edible, given correct identification.

Russula is a very large genus composed of around 750 worldwide species of fungi. The genus was described by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1796. The mushrooms are fairly large, and brightly colored – making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushroom collectors. Their distinguishing characteristics include usually brightly coloured caps, a white to dark yellow spore print, brittle, attached gills, an absence of latex, and absence of partial veil or volva tissue on the stem. Microscopically, the genus is characterised by the amyloid ornamented spores and flesh (trama)

Morchella, the true morels, is a genus of edible sac fungi closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi in the order Pezizales (division Ascomycota). These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges with pits composing their caps. Morels are prized by gourmet cooks, particularly in Catalan and French cuisine, but can be toxic if consumed raw or undercooked. Due to difficulties in cultivation, commercial harvesting of wild morels has become a multimillion-dollar industry in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in particular North America, Turkey, China, the

Lactarius torminosus, commonly known as the woolly milkcap or the bearded milkcap, is a large species of agaric fungus. It was first described scientifically by Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1774 as an Agaricus, and later transferred to the genus Lactarius in 1821 by Samuel Frederick Gray. L. torminosus officially became the type species of Lactarius in 2011 after molecular studies prompted the taxonomic reshuffling of species between several Russulaceae genera. The caps are convex with a central depression, and attain a diameter of up to 10 cm (4 in). A blend of pink and ochre hues, the cap

Morchella esculenta (commonly known as common morel, morel, yellow morel, true morel, morel mushroom, and sponge morel) is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae of the Ascomycota. Each fruit body begins as a tightly compressed, grayish sponge with lighter ridges, and expands to form a large yellowish sponge with large pits and ridges raised on a large white stem. The pitted yellow-brown caps measure 2–7 centimetres (1–3 inches) broad by 2–10 cm (1–4 in) tall, and are fused to the stem at its lower margin, forming a continuous hollow. The pits are rounded and irregularly arranged.

Lycoperdon perlatum, popularly known as the common puffball, warted puffball, gem-studded puffball or devil's snuff-box, is a species of puffball fungus in the family Agaricaceae. It is a medium-sized puffball with a round fruit body tapering to a wide stalk, and dimensions of 1.5 to 6 cm (1⁄2 to 2+1⁄4 in) wide by 3 to 10 cm (1+1⁄4 to 4 in) tall. It is off-white with a top covered in short spiny bumps or "jewels", which are easily rubbed off to leave a netlike pattern on the surface. When mature it becomes brown and a hole in the top opens to release spores in a burst when the body is

The blusher is the common name for several closely related species of the genus Amanita. A. rubescens (the blushing amanita) is found in Eurasia and A. novinupta (the new bride blushing amanita or blushing bride) is found in western North America. Both their scientific and common names stem from the tendency of their flesh to bruise pink. Blushers are difficult to distinguish from similar species, but one identifying feature is the pink bruising. The mushroom is edible.

Russula emetica, commonly known as the sickener, emetic russula, vomiting russula, is a basidiomycete mushroom, and the type species of the genus Russula. It was first described in 1774. It has a red, convex to flat cap up to 8.5 cm (3.3 in) in diameter, with a cuticle that can be peeled off almost to the centre. The gills are white to pale cream, and closely spaced. A smooth white stem measures up to 10.5 cm (4.1 in) long and 2.4 cm (0.9 in) thick. There are many similar russulas with a red cap and white stem and gills, some of which can be reliably distinguished only by microscopy. The

Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing, ectomycorrhizal fungi, containing several edible species. The species of the genus, commonly known as milk-caps, are characterized by the milky fluid ("latex") they exude when cut or damaged. Like the closely related genus Russula, their flesh has a distinctive brittle consistency. It is a large genus with over 500 known species, mainly distributed in the Northern hemisphere. Recently, the genus Lactifluus has been separated from Lactarius based on molecular phylogenetic evidence.

Clathrus ruber is a species of fungus in the family Phallaceae, and the type species of the genus Clathrus. It is commonly known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage, alluding to the striking fruit bodies that are shaped somewhat like a round or oval hollow sphere with interlaced or latticed branches. The species was illustrated in the scientific literature during the 16th century, but was not officially described until 1729. The fruit body initially appears like a whitish "egg" attached to the ground at the base by cords called rhizomorphs. The egg has a delicate,

Amanita citrina (synonym Amanita mappa), commonly known as the false death cap or citron amanita, is a basidiomycotic mushroom. It grows in silicate soil in the summer and autumn months. It bears a pale yellow or sometimes white cap, with white stem, ring and volva. It is an inedible mushroom due to its toxicity, but is more pertinently often confused for the lethal death cap.

Hericium erinaceus, commonly known as lion's mane, yamabushitake, bearded tooth fungus, or bearded hedgehog, is a species of tooth fungus. It tends to grow in a single clump with dangling spines longer than 1 centimetre (1⁄2 inch). It can be mistaken for other Hericium species that grow in the same areas. Native to North America and Eurasia, the mushrooms are common during late summer and autumn on hardwoods, particularly American beech and maple. It is typically considered saprophytic, as it mostly feeds on dead trees. It can also be found on living trees, usually in association with a

Russula foetens, commonly known as the stinking russula, is a common Russula mushroom found in deciduous and coniferous forests.

Craterellus cornucopioides is a species of fungus commonly known as the horn of plenty, black chanterelle, black trumpet, or trumpet of the dead. It forms a funnel-shaped grayish mushroom, which is found in Eurasia, North America, and Australia. It is edible.

Russula aurea, commonly known as the gilded brittlegill, is an uncommon species of mushroom found in deciduous woodland in Europe in summer and early autumn. Unlike many red-capped members of the genus, it is edible and mild-tasting.

Lycoperdon is a genus of puffball mushrooms. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 50 species. In general, it contains the smaller species such as the pear-shaped puffball and the gem-studded puffball. It was formerly classified within the now-obsolete order Lycoperdales, as the type genus which, following a restructuring of fungal taxonomy brought about by molecular phylogeny, has been split. Lycoperdon is now placed in the family Agaricaceae of the order Agaricales. The scientific name has been created with Greek words (lycos meaning wolf and perdomai meaning to fart)

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic (feeding on dead tissue) fungus that affects many plant species, including wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" or "gray mold". The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of infections on grapes. The first, grey rot, is the result of consistently wet or humid conditions, and typically results in the loss of the affected bunches. The second, noble rot, occurs when drier conditions follow wetter, and can result in distinctive sweet dessert wines, such as Sauternes, the

Coprinus is a small genus of mushroom-forming fungi consisting of Coprinus comatus—the shaggy ink cap (British) or shaggy mane (American)—and several of its close relatives. Until 2001, Coprinus was a large genus consisting of all agaric species in which the lamellae autodigested to release their spores. The black ink-like liquid this creates gave these species their common name "ink cap" (British) or "inky cap" (American). Molecular phylogenetic investigation found that Coprinus comatus was only a distant relative of the other members of Coprinus, and was closer to genera in the Agaricaceae.

Russula rosea (synonym Russula lepida), known as the rosy russula, is a north temperate, commonly found mushroom of the large "brittlegill" genus Russula. The cap is convex when young, later flat, mostly bright cinnabar to carmine red; often with yellow spots and up to 10 cm in diameter. The gills are pale straw-yellow, brittle, and occasionally with a red edge at the rim of the cap. The spores are pale-cream. The stem is usually flushed carmine, but can be pure white. The flesh is hard and bitter-tasting; some consider it edible, others inedible. This mushroom is commonly found in coniferous

Hericium coralloides is a saprotrophic fungus, commonly known as coral tooth fungus or comb coral mushroom.

Scleroderma citrinum, commonly known as the common earthball, pigskin poison puffball, or common earth ball, is a species of earthball fungus.

Stem rust, also known as cereal rust, black rust, red rust or red dust, is caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis, which causes significant disease in cereal crops. Crop species that are affected by the disease include bread wheat, durum wheat, barley and triticale. These diseases have affected cereal farming throughout history. The annual recurrence of stem rust of wheat in North Indian plains was discovered by K. C. Mehta. Since the 1950s, wheat strains bred to be resistant to stem rust have become available. Fungicides effective against stem rust are available as well. In 1999 a new, more

Stereum hirsutum, commonly known as the false turkey tail, hairy stereum, or hairy curtain crust, is a species of fungus and a plant pathogen that infects coniferous and deciduous trees.

Puccinia is a genus of fungi. All species in this genus are obligate plant pathogens and are known as rusts. The genus contains about 4000 species. The genus name of Puccinia is in honour of Tommaso Puccini (died 1735), who was an Italian doctor and botanist who taught anatomy at Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence. The genus was circumscribed by Pier Antonio Micheli in Nov. Pl. Gen. on page 213 in 1729.

Lactarius controversus, commonly known as the poplar milkcap, is a large funnel-capped fungus within the genus Lactarius, which are collectively known as 'milk caps'. They all exude milky drops (lactate) from the flesh and gills when damaged. The species is classified as inedible but has sometimes been collected in Eurasia.

Geastrum (orthographical variant Geaster) is a genus of puffball-like mushrooms in the family Geastraceae. Many species are commonly known as earthstars. The name, which comes from geo meaning earth and aster meaning star, refers to the behavior of the outer peridium. At maturity, the outer layer of the fruiting body splits into segments which turn outward creating a star-like pattern on the ground. The inner peridium is called a spore sac. In some species, the outer peridium splits from a middle layer, causing the spore sac to arch off the ground. If the outer peridium opens when wet and

Trichoderma is a genus of fungi in the family Hypocreaceae that is present in all soils, where they are the most prevalent culturable fungi. Many species in this genus can be characterized as opportunistic avirulent plant symbionts. This refers to the ability of several Trichoderma species to form mutualistic endophytic relationships with several plant species. Trichoderma species are also responsible for green mold disease in mushroom cultivation. The genomes of several Trichoderma species have been sequenced and are publicly available from the JGI.

Lycoperdon echinatum, commonly known as the spiny puffball or the spring puffball, is a type of puffball mushroom in the family Agaricaceae. The saprobic species has been found in Africa, Europe, Central America, and North America, where it grows on soil in deciduous woods, glades, and pastures. It has been proposed that North American specimens be considered a separate species, Lycoperdon americanum, but this suggestion has not been followed by most authors. Molecular analysis indicates that L. echinatum is closely related to the puffball genus Handkea. The fruit bodies of L. echinatum are