Taxonomy and Ecology of Indian Fungi

Contents:  Preface. 1. Helicosporium species from India/C. Manoharachary and I.K. Kunwar. 2. Taxonomy of eriocercosporaceous fungi/C. Manoharachary and I.K. Kunwar. 3. Spegazzinia species from India/C. Manoharachary and I.K. Kunwar. 4. Rhizoctonia D.C.: taxonomy, ecology and management/D.K. Agarwal. 5. Characterization of cotton root rot pathogens Rhizoctonia solani and R. bataticola using RAPD and morphological markers/D. Monga, M. Kumar, R. Kumar, N. Saini and P.K. Chakrabarty. 6. Macrophomina: taxonomy, ecology, diseases and their management/D.K. Agarwal. 7. Taxonomy and ecology of Chaetomiaceae/K.G. Mukerji. 8. Teliospore germination, germination products and conservation of smut fungi with reference to spore dormancy, viability, activation, inhibitors, germination, germination products, compatibility, cultures and systematics--a review/R.V. Gandhe. 9. Current status of biodiversity of rust and smut fungi: Indian perspective/D.K. Agarwal, R.K. Sharma and D. Bahukhandi. 10. Documentation of wild edible mushrooms and their seasonal availability in Punjab/N.S. Atri, M.K. Saini, A.K. Gupta, Amanjeet Kaur, Harvinder Kour and S.S. Saini. 11. Russulaceae of Kumaon Himalaya: an overview/Kanad Das. 12. Morphotaxonomic studies of poisonous mushrooms/R.K. Sharma and D.K. Agarwal. 13. Keratinophilic fungi: distribution and prospects/S.K. Deshmukh and S.A. Verekar. 14. Important fungal diseases of rice in India and their management/Janki Kandhari. 15. Mycoparasites in disease control/Rajni Gupta and K.G. Mukerji. 16. Fungal fouling of historical wall paintings/K.L. Garg, A.K. Mishra and K.G. Mukerji. Index.

"Fungal world embodies diversified groups which colonize, multiply and survive in nature on many macro and micro-ecological niches and substrates. Fungi are eukaryotic, achlorophyllous, filamentous or unicellular living organisms which are ubiquitous and cosmopolitan in distribution. Of the estimated 1.5 million fungal species, more than 98,000 fungal species have been described. Approximately 28,000 fungal species are reported from India. The fungi play an important role in biodegradation, recycling of organic matter, pharmaceutical industries, agriculture, medicine, industry, bioremediation, waste management and other activities. In India hardly we have database but for few a books on Indian fungi, compiled from time to time by some mycologists. The present book includes 16 chapters contributed by eminent mycologists. Chapters include data on diversity, taxonomy, ecology and application of helicosporous fungi, genus Spegazzinia, rusts and smuts, chaetomiaceae, macrophomina, rhizoctonia, russula, wild edible fungi, poisonous mushrooms, insect fungi and other related aspects. This book will be very useful and a valuable addition to the existing literature on the same subject." (jacket)