We´re not in Leningrad anymore

A review of "A Monograph of the Erysiphales/Powdery Mildews (Nowa Hedwigia Beihefte)"

This is, ahem, a scientific reference work about parasitical fungi. It includes 316 “plates” (actually black-and-white drawings of hopefully diagnostic characters). After a lengthy introduction, we are treated to keys and species presentations. This is heavy reading, completely unsuited for the general reader (or for nerds with an interest in, say, mushrooms). You have to learn strange new words such as “cleistothecia”, “hyaline”, “isotypi” and “ellipsoid-ovoid”. A working knowledge of botanical nomenclature also helps. If you don't know the meaning of Convolvulaceae, Caryophyllaceae or Lathyrus pseudo-orobus, this probably isn't your cup of herb tea. In case you've been sorely misled by earlier monographs on parasitical funguses, sorry, fungi, the author has been kind enough to include a list of “excluded and doubtful species”. A certain Jaczewski 1927 is lashed pretty thoroughly in this section, the poor chap (who lived and worked in Leningrad!) having described 30 doubtful forms of Erysiphe communis, including solani-lycopersici, vincetoxici, cassiae and spartii. OK, let me guess. Jaczewski really wanted to major in ancient history? Thank god we have Uwe Braun to sort things out for us! Three stars for Heft 89 of Beihefte zur Nowa Hedwigia. All hail to the powdery mildews!