An encyclopaedic and fairly comprehensive account of the microfungi that grow on living or dead material of native British plants. Commonly cultivated species are also included.

The microfungi covered comprise ascomycetes, mildews (powdery and downy), hyphomycetes, coelomycetes, rusts, smuts and a few other basidiomycetes. It has to be said that the parasitic groups (coelomycetes, mildews, rusts and smuts) were not the Ellises’ forté and the coverage is sometimes less complete, but this is a small criticism of a monumental piece of work.

The handbook is arranged in the following chapters:

The "specific" sections are arranged under host genus, sorted alphabetically. The entries for many trees are subdivided into: On Leaves, On Catkins/Fruit/Seeds and On Wood and Bark. Finally, longer entries are further subdivided into Discomycetes, Other Ascomycetes, Hyphomycetes, Coelomycetes and (occasionally!) Basidiomycetes. Large sections begin with a key to genera; larger genera also have keys.

The final species accounts are quite short, but more than half are illustrated with line drawings, principally of the microscopy.

The main difficulty of using the handbook is that each collection must be checked through the appropriate (often rather long) "Plurivorous" section, as well as the host-specific entries. This is less of a problem with living substrates as plant pathogens are usually host specific.

The second edition also contains a 35 page supplement of additions and corrections to the main work. An asterisk in the left margin beside the main text indicates a correction or addition.

Absolutely indispensable to anyone interested in plant pathology or fungi of decaying bits of our flora. Thoroughly recommended.

The book, excellent as it is, conveys the impression that fungi are more faithful to their preferred hosts than is actually the case - fungi don’t read the books!

Although many parasitic species are restricted in their host range, there are many plurivorous saprobes as well as less specific parasites and pathogens, so the appropriate "Plurivorous" section must always be checked. As always, identifications should always be confirmed by checking the microscopic features.

P86: *Alnus*: the rust on *Alnus* is often distinguished as *M. hiratsukanum*.

P231: Bramble rusts key (couplet 1): Aecia of *Phragmidium violaceum* are also common on bramble stems and closely resemble uredia of *Kuehneola uredinis*: P. violaceum causes violet spots, *K. uredinis* causes yellow ones and is less common.

P244: Rusts on *Salix cinereav etc: Telia: spore WALL thickened to 10 at apex.

P471 & 494 *Rotula graminis* is a typo for *Rutola graminis*.

P567: *Dasyscyphus pteridis* and *Mollisia pteridis* are based on the same epithet so are the same taxon. Ditto *Micropodia pteridina* and *Mollisia pteridina*. Unfortunately the descriptions have been interchanged so that *D. pteridis* matches *M. pteridina* and *Mollisia pteridis* matches *Micropodia pteridina*.

There have been numerous name changes since the work was published, but these can generally be sorted out through the FRDBI or NBN websites.

The following groups have been split:

Most are quite easy, if the host plant is identified. Unfortunately, each collection needs to be checked through the appropriate (and rather long) "Plurivorous" section, as well as the host-specific entries.