The American Mushroom Institute

by Richard W. Kerrigan

I’ll begin by introducing each organization to the other. Below follows some official material from the AMI.

WHAT IS AMI? The American Mushroom Institute is a national voluntary trade association representing the growers, processors, suppliers and marketers of cultivated and specialty mushrooms in the United States. Membership is available to processors, suppliers, researchers and persons interested in the mushroom industry. Categories of membership are grower, associate, professional and retiree.

WHY WAS AMI ORGANIZED? In 1955, a number of growers in Chester County, Pennsylvania, recognized the need for organization, promotion and orderly marketing in the rapidly expanding mushroom industry and thus organized AMI. Activities, programs and services to members have steadily increased since then. Today, AMI is the voice of the industry, with members in over 33 states.

WHAT ARE AMI’S PURPOSES?

· Increase the consumption of mushrooms

· Develop better and more economical methods of growing and marketing mushrooms

· Collect, analyze and disseminate the latest statistics and other valuable information

· Represent the industry in its relations with various branches of government

· Foster research beneficial to the industry

· Aid members with any problems affecting the industry

Of the six purposes given above, the second, fifth and sixth are potentially in alignment with the objectives of some of the MSA’s own members. Not surprisingly, several AMI members are also sustaining members of the MSA. In the future, I’ll devote more space to a discussion of mycologically related problems faced by the commercial mushroom industry. The AMI also has certain resources. For example:

MUSHROOM LIBRARY

AMI maintains a library that provides up-to-date technical information vital to the growing and marketing of mushrooms. Reference materials from all over the world, covering all aspects of mushroom culture, are filed and constantly updated.

MSA members interested in further information about the AMI should Email me at rwk@bigfoot.com. The AMI may be contacted directly at:

At the International Botanical Congress in St. Louis last August, several dramatic changes were made to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature that caught the taxonomic community by surprise. These amendments were pushed through on the final day of the deliberations, when most participants had fallen asleep or fled the auditorium in search of triple espresso. The chairman of the final session, Dr. Magnus Snooze, took the unprecedented step of declaring before each vote, "Instead of the usual show of hands, all those in favour, please snore now." Below are summaries of the new rules. Consult the Code website for more details.

Article 11.4 Proposed new wording: For any taxon below the rank of genus, the correct name is the combination of the epithet of the funniest legitimate name of the taxon in the same rank, with the correct name of the genus or species to which it is assigned. The new rule was proposed in support of the name "Ernie anbertia" for the fungus formerly known as Hypomyces aurantiacus. The author, inspired by Sesame Street, described his taxon with 15 colour plates of the fungus grown on Ganoderma conks, genetically engineered to grow into colonies resembling happy faces and little children with balloons. Upon discussion, the delegates felt that the rule deserved a more uniform application, suggesting that many taxonomists needed to develop senses of humour. The Committee on Fungi and Lichens will be charged with the task of deciding which names are the most humorous. Related articles were proposed to allow the proposal of "hahatypes" to replace holotypes that are deemed too serious, and an article to reject names considered too grouchy.

Article 45.6 A new article concerning the validity of new taxa or new combinations proposed while under the effect of performance enhancing drugs. This rule was originally proposed to retard the activities of workers on Cercosporoid fungi, who frequently mix anabolic steroids and cough suppressants before making slides. Delegates first agreed that the provisions should be extended to agaric taxonomists fueled by too much cola, then extended the article to cover all fungi except smuts.

Article 46.2. A new article concerning taxonomist species and valid taxonomic publication. A poster presented at last year’s MSA meeting by V. Rooibos and S. Little River created a sensation when it was discovered that both authors were dogs (which should have been obvious from the photos beside the title, but was somehow overlooked by the moderator). After a lengthy discussion, which digressed several times into the possibility of extraterrestrial life and alien scientists on earth-bound sabbaticals, the delegates decided to recommend that taxonomists not make their pets coauthors of new taxonomic proposals, unless they had actually fetched the sticks themselves.

From the Editor ...
 

The thought has suddenly struck the Editor that she would be tremendously aided in her pursuit of perfection if those submitting copy for Inoculum would observe the following conventions:

· Place all names, addresses and web page info together in a single "paragraph" on one line (usually the last).

· Capitalize and spell "Email" as "Email" without a hyphen, and enclose Email and Web addresses in parentheses (these will be underlined when published).

· Eliminate periods after initials and titles, but replace hyphens with periods in phone numbers. Place "Phone" or "FAX" before the appropriate numbers with only one space and NO colon before the appropriate number. (Italics will serve as visual separators in the final issue -- e.g., Dr EM Fries Phone 818.555.1821 FAX 818.555.1838 Fries@fatherofmycology.org.swe

· When submitting material within an Email message, keep the first line of each paragraph flush with the margin and double-space between all paragraphs. Also kindly eliminate all those pesky ">’s" when forwarding material, but do be certain to note the name and Email address of the "first" author.

1999 MSA Council Minutes (Inoculum 50(6)) Correction -- The name of Past MSA President Mary Palm was inadvertently omitted from the list of attendees.

Du Pont Agricultural Products was unfortunately not listed as a Sustaining Member in Inoculum 51(1) because of a stray renewal check, actually sent in May. We regret the confusion and gratefully reinstate the company to its rightful place in the list of Sustaining Members in this issue.

Jean Lodge, chair of the MSA Biodiversity Committee, wishes to note that due to unforeseen postal delays, two distinguished mycologists Drs Eef Arnolds and Laura Guzmán-Davalos were not acknowledged for agreeing to serve on the International Advisory Panel for the Committee. Their counsel is appreciated.

The Editor would like to thank and acknowledge Laurel Carroll for volunteering to proofread selected pre-publication copy of Inoculum 51(1) and most of 51(2). A freelance copy editor in the biological sciences (who likes to write articles on the fungi for nonbiological audiences) and volunteer curator of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s fungal collection, she shares her one-room flat with three cats and 800 fungal bodies. Laurel deserves particular commendation for bravery under last-minute copy fire.

I am part of a team keeping the MSA on solid financial and administrative footing. This year, among other priorities, that has included: (i) working with the EIC (Dave Griffin and bridging to Joan Bennett), the ME (Orson Miller, now Jim Ginns) and Allen Press (Sharon Kindall, now Beverly Prescott) in setting new business procedures and clarifying some legal aspects in the production of Mycologia. In other words, we are completing the process of assuming our responsibilities as publisher of Mycologia that we began in 1998. Also (ii) working with Theresa Pickel at Allen Management and Marketing to develop the best possible delivery of services to our members. I take personal responsibility for seeing that all issues are resolved.

MSA Committee renewal is one of the president’s biggest responsibilities. I completed this process by the October 15, 1999 Inoculum deadline (so that committees could be announced formally in the autumn). All committees (except Research Awards and Electronic Communications) now conform to the new By Laws. As directed in the By Laws, we now have four (rather than three) awards committees. Following Council’s vote in August 1999, the new mid-career MSA Fellows distinction has been set up for this year -- the capable work of Dennis Desjardin is acknowledged in making this happen. I have personally communicated with all committee chairs, MSA representatives and liaisons on what they could do this year. My sense is that many committees are active and are taking new initiatives.

I have done more meeting planning than I might have expected. Our freestanding MSA meetings have each been outstanding, and this one promises to meet that high standard. I have been working with Meg Boera, our conference coordinator at UVM intermittently for two years in planning the basic framework of the 2000 meeting in Burlington (I am a UVM alumna and a frequent visitor to Burlington). Over this year, Faye Murrin, Keith Egger and Jim Anderson have been hammering out the details of the 2000 meeting schedule. Meg, Faye and I hit a crescendo of fevered activity in getting a timely registration announcement ready for the December 15 Inoculum deadline. By getting the hard copy of the registration information into Inoculum (in the center staple pages) and on-line from our web page, we have saved on a costly mailing. Jim Anderson and I will be sending email invitations to everyone on the Fungal Genetics Newsletter mailing list. I have also been working with Faye Labbatt at APS on the schedule for the 2001 meeting in Salt Lake City. I have consulted with Jeff Stone and Joey Spatafora on the schedule for 2002 in Corvallis. Finally, after highly productive discussions with the BMS Council last December, at the encouragement of the BMS Council, a joint BMS-MSA meeting in 2003, hopefully at the Asilomar Conference Center on the Monterey Peninsula (for a view, see http://www.csulb.edu/~philos/asil_3.html) is up for discussion at the midyear Executive Committee meeting.

Last year, under George Carroll’s leadership, we signed a cooperative agreement with ALM, the Latin American Mycological Society. I have continued with this initiative in developing international links in other directions. We now have a Biodiversity Committee with an International Advisory Panel (which includes Laura Guzman Davalos of the ALM, as well as Regis Courtecuisse, Eef Arnolds, Roy Watling and Paul Cannon). As a guest of the British Mycological Society, I attended their Annual General Meeting. One outcome was that Tony Whalley is now the BMS liaison to the MSA -- we will follow suit. Other outcomes of our discussions could be a joint meeting, as well as cooperative initiatives to offer student support and increase our memberships to include a bigger set of fungal biologists. I am pleased that Council has approved MSA support of the BMS meeting on Tropical Mycology (www.ulst.ac.uk/faculty/science/bms) and the Symposium "Mycology in the 21st Century -- Morphology, DNA and the Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Fungi" (www.cbs.knaw.nl/about/CBSsymp.htm), organized by CBS to commemorate the retirement of Walter Gams. The MSA will be acknowledged as a sponsor at both these meetings, MSA members will be participating, and we will be influencing the international mycological effort -- including the development of young international mycologists.

As a Society president, opportunities arise to get involved in public policy. We all know that as mycologists we have expertise in some important policy areas. I have done my best to respond to opportunities -- and to initiate new roles for the MSA. I consider these issues to be part of our responsibility as a professional society. As discussed in Inoculum 51(1), after vigorous discussion, Council approved our endorsement of a set of amendments to the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS Agreement) forwarded to us by Faith Campbell of the American Lands Alliance. Although our nominee for the US Dept of the Interior, Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) was not selected, we hope that we will have several members on Working Groups, including our ISAC nominee, who will be assisting this committee. I have been much more active with AIBS since attending the three-day Presidents’ Summit in November. At the AIBS Millennium Meeting in March, I will be co-moderating, with Brian Boom, the Synthesis Session on "Biodiversity Exploration: Systematics and Classification" which will be convened on Wednesday afternoon 22 March after the plenary presentations by Prance and Gould. Brian and I hope to put some emphasis on support for collection and database infrastructure as biocomplexity initiatives expand. In April, I plan to take training from SETWG -- the Science, Engineering, and Technology Working Group and take part in the annual Congressional Visits Day, to talk to my representatives about science. (It is also ok to talk about Mycology.) I have lined up a younger MSA professional to also take part.

Strategic Planning. In the time remaining in my term, I will be working with both Council and the Long Range Planning Committee to set priorities for discretionary spending. Jeff and Maren have begun this process with Maren’s informal survey of Council. I have to say that personally, I’d like to see a research award for an undergraduate supervised by an MSA member. This was an initiative suggested at last summer’s Long Range Planning Committee meeting.

The Endowment Committee has raised $11,200.00 between August 1, 1999 and February 13, 1999, including $7,200 from donations and $4000.00 from the MSA Auction ‘99, T-shirts, mushroom pins and cookbooks. The members of the Endowment Committee are Jeff Stone, Past-Chair; Judi Ellzey, Chair; Fred Spiegel; Rodney Roberts, Karen Snetselaar and Esther McLaughlin.

The number of contributors to the Travel Mentor Awards, Research Awards, and the Uncommitted Endowment was seventeen. The current balances in the endowment Travel Funds are distributed as follows:

Alexopoulos $4,410.00
Barksdale-Raper $3,895.11
Bigelow $10,826.00
Butler $4,564.00
Denison $6,150.00
Fitzpatrick $4,625.00
Fuller $1,100.00
Korf $4,159.05
Luttrell $3,300.00
Thiers $2,895.00
Trappe $1,200.00
Uecker $3,040 00
Wells $2,500.00

New Travel Award Fund $70,000.00

(To supplement current travel mentor funds)

The balances for the Research Funds are as follows:

AH & HV Smith Award $24,997.89
Martin-Baker Award $32,626.62
Myron Backus Award $16,700.00
Alexopoulos Prize $16,274.83
Temperate Forest Fungi Research $1250.00
Uncommitted Endowment before Investment $29,242.95

I recommend that the Executive Council encourage all officers, councilors and committee chairs to donate to the endowment funds and become members of the Endowment Honor Roll that is published each year in Inoculum. At the suggestion of Linda Kohn, the newest member of our committee, Esther McLaughlin has recently begun planning for a telephone campaign where students of mentors for the Travel Mentor Awards would each call four people and request a donation.

Corrections in proof must be restricted to typographical errors only. Alterations to typographically correct proofs are disruptive to our production schedule. Therefore, it is imperative that you carefully proofread your manuscript before submitting your revision.

Excessive alterations in proof (more than five per article) will be billed to the author at the rate of $3.75 per change. Corrections of errors made by the printer, including tables and figures, will not be charged. If a figure needs to be corrected or replaced, be sure to include the new figure(s) when you return your proof. Requests for figure revisions or for extensive author alterations should be accompanied by your written assurance that these charges will be paid. A separate invoice will be sent for alteration charges.

We are very excited about the prospects of increased color reproduction in Mycologia. It will increase the ability to communicate important data and make articles even more interesting. Together with the advent of illustrated covers next year Mycologia will continue to maintain its leadership in the mycological world.

Council has appropriated funds to subsidize color plates in Mycologia. We will offer one free color plate to authors whose illustrations clearly need color to effectively convey their information content. The Editor-in-Chief may approve a free color plate on recommendation of the Associate Editor handling your manuscript. Of course, additional color plates may be included, if desired, but authors will be required to pay for these. Costs for additional plates after the first are usually less, but final pricing depends on the size and complexity of color reproduction. Allen Press can only determine these costs after the material is submitted to them.

Illustrated covers will begin with the Jan-Feb 2001 issue. Therefore, anyone submitting a manuscript should consider including a proposed cover illustration. These must be in addition to and separate from illustrations for inclusion in the manuscript. Although they may be identical to manuscript illustrations, it would be preferable for them to be supplementary. Pictures may be in color or black and white and will preferably be related to one of the papers included within the issue. Subjects may be anything mycological, ranging from color photographs or paintings of whole fungi to drawings or photomicrographs, including electron microscopy -- anything that you might like to see as a cover illustration.

All submissions will become the property of the Mycological Society of America and will not be returned. Submission for consideration as a cover illustration will constitute permission to use the illustration at the discretion of the Editorial Staff of Mycologia, whether or not the manuscript is accepted for publication. The Editorial Staff of Mycologia reserves the right to crop illustrations to fit the cover format and design. All cover illustrations will be suitably attributed to the submitter.

1. 1400 copies of Inoculum are published by Allen Press six times a year and mailed with Mycologia. Each issue contains the presidential letter, plus regular sections [MSA Business, Mycological News, Mycology On-Line (including the On-Line Directory), Mycological Classifieds, Mycological Events, John Zak’s still-popular "Mycologist’s Bookshelf"] two lists [Sustaining members, masthead] and four forms [membership, endowment and contributions, change of address]. Usually also included is an editorial letter w/wo embarrassing additions, omissions & corrections. Issues 50(5) - 51(1) also included:

· Inoculum 50(5, September/October 1999: 40 pages, 1 drawing, 28 photos): coverage of the 1999 Joint IBN/MSA meeting with past and present presidential letters, the MSA-ALM agreement, announcements of 1999 MSA awardees with biographies of Hanlin (by Mims), Ross, Sundberg (by Ruch), Crous (by Seifert) and Geiser, plus reinstatement of a complete "Previous Winners" list; 1999 annual reports (by Klich, Miller [2], Norvell, Crous, Samuels, McLaughlin, Wells, Taylor, Baroni, Ellzey, Iturriaga, Murphy, Worrall, Bennett, Ruch [2], Torzilli [2]. Palm, Pohlad, Fogel and Shearer), brief obituaries of LR Batra and RL Homola, and Trappe’s review of Fungi of South Australia.

· Inoculum 50(6, November/December 1999: 28 pages, 3 drawings, 14 photos): Crous feature on cultures, MSA Committees List (chairs and members), 1999 Treasurer’s Report (Stone), Minutes (1999 council and general business meetings plus introduction of "MSA Council Email Express" Klich), wake-up call for MSA 2000 (Murrin), Biodiversity Committee Mission Statement (Lodge), Mycologia color cover announcement (Griffin), Foray Plea (Ruch), Renewal reminder (Miller), Call for Research Awards (Baroni, Wells) and Mentor Travel Awards (Taylor), and Geiser’s Review of Hudler’s Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds.

· Inoculum 51(1, January/February 2000: 32 pages, 3 drawings, 17 photos): Palm feature on Venezuelan Ascomycete Workshop, Ross Thank-you Letter, Call for Papers & Abstracts 2000 (2 by Anderson, Ruch), Foray announcement (Ruch), complete Call for Nominations (MSA Distinctions by Desjardin, Student by Selliker, + shortened version of previous deadline info), MSA 2000 two-page brochure (prepared and sent to Allen Press by Program Committee), brief WA Campbell obituary, introduction of Mycological Research news as part of Mycological News, and Kendrick’s review of the APS 4th Edition Illustrated Genera of Fungi Imperfecti.

2. The editor regularly sends complimentary copies of Inoculum to contributors (see above), awardees, and the North American Mycological Association. She also issues reminders to 100+ MSA members approximately two weeks before deadline (near the fifteenth of "even" months preceding the newsletter to be mailed near the fifteenth of "odd" months).

3. The November-December issue was considerably delayed (not received until mid-January after deadline) due to Mycologia indexing problems, and the January-February issue delayed by two/three days due to limitations of the editorial computer. The editor would like to note that Treasurer Stone’s warnings as to the inadvisability of upgrading an "old" (i.e. four-year old) computer should have been heeded. No action by Council is requested; the editor is perfectly happy to castigate herself unaided.

4. The editor would like to take this moment to thank MSA member and volunteer Laurel Carroll who proofed two test sections of Inoculum 51(1); we found that it is possible to save Inoculum sections in MSWord which retains formatting (although not layout used in Pagemaker). She caught some important errors, and her editorial and scientific background will make her invaluable.

5. The Council’s generous approval of funds for blood, sweat and tears compensation has been greatly appreciated and will probably be shared with deserving souls as resources and contributions dictate.

6. Sharon Kindall, who previously served as Allen Press liaison, has moved on, and has been replaced by Beverly Prescott.

7. The Editor would like to remind Council that it is now time to beat the bushes for a replacement, as her term will expire with completion of Inoculum 51(6).

Members of the MSA Sustaining Members Committee are: Current Chair Joan W Bennett (jbennett@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu) Upcoming Chair (June 2000) Hilisa Esteban (estebanh@pt.cyanamid.com), Jon Polishook (jon_polishook@merck.com) and Wendy Yoder (windy@nnbt.com).

Accomplishments: There were a total of 22 Sustaining Members at the end of 1999. The 22 Sustaining Members were: American Cyanamid, Amycel-Spawn Mate, Carolina Biological, Dowelanco, Fungi Perfecti, Genencor International, Lane Science Equipment, Lilly Research Labs, Merck & Co, Mycotaxon Ltd, Novo Nordisk Biotech, Novartis Pharma, Novartis Seeds, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Pfizer, Phillips Mushroom Farms, Rohm & Haas, Schering Plough, Sylvan American, Triarch, Unicorn Bags, Uniroyal Chemical, and Warner-Lambert.

Solicitations: In September 1999, a letter of invitation was mailed to companies that are not currently Sustaining Members. In almost every case, the letter went to an individual within a company. I did not receive a single response (positive or negative) after this mailing. Although I did not follow through with phone calls or reminders, this was a disappointing and demoralizing exercise. Successful solicitation of new members apparently requires personal, repetitious (perhaps relentless) one-on-one contacts. My own personality style does not have enough of the salesman in it. I would suspect that most members of MSA are similarly handicapped by a somewhat introverted, scientific temperament.

Renewals: Linda Hardwick at Allen Press has handled renewal notices for 2000 and sent reports of renewals as they have been received. Three separate renewal notices had been mailed as of December 1999. Somewhat over half of the Sustaining Members had renewed as of Dec 31, 1999.

Expenses: None

Future Plans. MSA President, Linda Kohn, has appointed Hilisa (Lisa) Esteban, American Cyanamid Corporation of Princeton, NJ, to replace John Haines on the Committee. Dr. Esteban has agreed to assume chairmanship of the Committee, starting this coming summer when I assume the position of Editor-in-Chief of Mycologia. Dr. Esteban has written thank you letters to renewed members, reminder letters to 1999 members who had not renewed, as well as a solicitation letter. The next Annual Report will be written by Dr. Esteban and will describe these efforts in detail.

Summary of Email Council Actions 12/99-2/00

-- Council approved $1,500 to support the symposium "Mycology in the 21st Century - Morphology, DNA and the Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Fungi" organized by the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures to commemorate the retirement of Walter Gams.

Council approved the requests of 15 new emeritus members. The MSA membership will vote final approval or disapproval of these requests at the annual meeting in Vermont.

NOTE: The annual MSA Foray will be on SUNDAY, July 30!

This year’s annual foray will take place in the Indian Brook Conservation Area (IBCA) near the University of Vermont on Sunday, July 30. IBCA contains nearly 1,000 acres and includes a large lake and a diversity of woodland habitats. According to Robert Resnik, our local representative, the area consists of a large mixed hardwood forest with some intermittent pine forests. Habitats range from ridgetop communities to rich bottomlands. In addition to the large lake, there are creeks and creek banks. With a little help from the "rain gods," it sounds like this year’s trip should provide some good collecting.

You need to register for the foray when you register for the annual meeting. The cost of the foray is $30 per participant and includes transportation, boxed lunch, additional beverages in both the morning and afternoon collection sessions, and a post-foray lab at the University of Vermont. The buses will leave from the parking lot near the dorms where members are staying (exact site to be determined). We will leave at 9:00 AM and return around 5:00 PM. The number of participants is limited to 135. If you have any questions, please contact Don Ruch, Foray Coordinator (Phone 765.285.8829 Email druch@gw.bsu.edu).
 

The Committee is hosting an informal poster session on fungi in the laboratory at this year’s meeting at the University of Vermont. In order for this session to be successful, we need your participation.

If you are using fungi in interesting ways in the laboratory or know of such uses, please consider presenting a poster. Remember, although you may think that what you do in the teaching laboratory is common knowledge, your colleagues may be totally unaware of these techniques.

To help organize the session, please submit a short abstract to Don Ruch, Teaching Committee Chair (Dept. Biology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47383, Email druch@gw.bsu.edu).

All abstracts will be published in a booklet to be distributed at the meeting. Since this is an informal poster session, these presentations will not count against any research presentations.

Since retirement as Director of the International Mycological Institute at the end of 1997, David Hawksworth is now operating as a consultant and keen to promote mycological (and lichenological) interests worldwide. He is now the Executive Editor of Mycological Research and is undertaking writing, editing, lecturing and teaching assignments, and consultancies. He is also continuing work on Ascomycetes, including lichens and lichenicolous fungi. In November he worked in Umea with Ove Eriksson, and has had a succession of mycological and lichenological researchers working with him in his new laboratory. If his scientific, editorial or administrative experience may be of assistance, do not hesitate to contact him at MycoNova, 114 Finchley Lane, Hendon, London NW4 1DG, Phone/Fax + 44 (0) 20.8203.4282 Email MycoNova@btinternet.com.
 

Dr Emil F Guba died March, 16, 1999 at the age of 101. He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Guba was a member of the faculty at the Waltham Field Station, University of Massachusetts from 1925 until 1962, when he retired as a Commonwealth Professor. His research centered on mycology, including industrial and medical as well as plant pathology. He is best known for his work with Pestalotia-like genera, which culminated in the book Monograph of Monochaetia and Pestalotia (1961). [Mary Palm]

MSA Emeritus member Dr Clifford W Hesseltine died last April (1999) of Lewy Body Disease. Long associated with the Northern Regional Research Laboratory in Peoria, Illinois, he delivered the Annual Mycological Lecture at the 1982 Fort Collins MSA meeting (Mycologia 77: 505-526, "Fungi, People, and Soybeans"), where he noted that his career had ranged "from taxonomy of Mucorales and of Actinomycetes to research on antibiotics and mycotoxins, applied microbiology of cereals, fermentation methods, and finally to food fermentations, mainly of Asia." Dr Hesseltine served our Society as Vice President (1961-63), Secretary-Treasurer (1963-64), and was named Distinguished Mycologist in 1982.

Dr Michael O Garroway died June 12, 1999 after an extended illness. Born in Portsmouth, Dominica (West Indies), he received his BS and MS degrees from McGill University in Quebec and his PhD in plant pathology from University of California, Berkeley. He served for more than 30 years on the faculty of Ohio State University, Department of Plant Pathology. He advanced the study of the physiology of fungi and coauthored the book Fungal Nutrition and Physiology. He served on the Mycology Committee of the American Phytopathological Society. [Mary Palm]

Dr Alan Jaworski, a long-time MSA member and since 1995 head of the Department of Botany at the University of Georgia, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Sunday, January 16, 2000. He was 57. Born in Woonsockett, Rhode Island, Alan received his BS from Providence College and his PhD in 1969 from the University of Arizona. He was a devoted teacher, mycologist, and administrator. Alan served the MSA as Councilor (Pathology & Biology) from 1983-1987. He came to Georgia in 1969, and an early association with Mel Fuller led to his research on protein and RNA synthesis in zoosporic fungi and (in 1987) his co-editing the invaluable Zoosporic Fungi in Teaching and Research. Alan has been described as a "student's teacher" from his popular introductory biology classes through which he introduced thousands of students to the intricacies and generalities of modern biology. Among other accolades, he received the University of Georgia's highest teaching award, the Josiah Meigs Award, in 1992. As department head, Alan truly enjoyed the art of administration and was particularly effective in strengthening the department in many areas and maintaining a balance among ecological, organismal and molecular plant biology. He was a wonderful educator and warm, engaging person who will be missed by students and colleagues. [David Porter]

Teresa Iturriaga and Armando Subero share their photos from last summer’s resoundingly successful Ascomycete (covered in Inoculum 51(1) by Mary Palm) and Basidiomycete Workshops held in Caracas, Argentina. More evidence of fun and friendships forged whilst peering through microscopes or cultivator’s loops.

Below Pedro Crous sent us an intriguing glimpse of mycologists demonstrating different sampling techniques for Phytophthora during a recent field trip in Australia. Photographer Walter Gams obligingly snapped this shot of Brett "More-Is-Better" Summerbell with a bag of soil, Keith "I-Only-Need-DNA" Seifert with his innovative eppendorf, and Pedro "Getting-to-the-Root-of-the Problem" Crous with a spade.

Last December, President Linda Kohn experienced history firsthand at the Linnaean Society in London during her guest presentation of the Annual Lecture of the British Mycological Society. The photo above shows our president enthroned in the room where Darwin and Wallace presented their arguments, flanked by BMS Secretary Tony Whalley and Roy Watling.

Royal Botanic Garden collections are still available for loan: It appears that some confusion has arisen on the part of those who have heard of Dr Roy Watling’s retirement as head curator. Roy writes: "The mycological collections in the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, are still on loan, as they have been for generations. Requests should be sent to the Curator, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, Scotland UK. It is only the Corner collection which has not been accessed, catalogued and sorted and which therefore cannot be sent on loan. However, researchers are welcome to come and work on the material, and if information on a single or small number of specimens is required, please write directly to Prof R Watling at the above address and a search will be made."

A team member of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park-All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory Fungal TWIG was recently notified by the National Science Foundation that the project entitled "SGER-RUI: Tree Canopy Biodiversity (myxomycetes, macrofungi, mosses, liverworts and lichens) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park" will be funded. Dr Harold W Keller from Central Missouri State University will serve as Principal Investigator with Dr Uno H Eliasson from Göteborg University, Sweden, serving as co-PI. A Multidisciplinary Research Team will provide support to collect and identify this targeted group of cryptogams. Research Team Members include: Dr Ted L Esslinger, North Dakota State University; Dr Paul G Davison, University of North Alabama; Dr Thomas W Gaither, Slippery Rock University; Dr Jay Raveill, Central Missouri State University; Dr David K Smith, University of Tennessee; Dr Ted Stampfer, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Dr Walter J Sundberg, Southern Illinois University. Much of the tree climbing will be done by students from Central Missouri State University. Volunteers interested in joining the research team this summer in the Smokies should please contact Harold W Keller, Humphreys 410, CMSU, Warrensburg, MO 64093, Phone 660-543-4327 Email haroldkeller@hotmail.com
 

Dr Timothy J Baroni is generously sharing his database of fungal collections fungi he has made over the years in the Southern Appalachians.

The now famous Butterflies of the Soil pilot project is scheduled to continue even as Dr Rod Tulloss sends out last year’s fungal vouchers for expert identification. The "Butterfly" Coordinator baton is being passed from hard-working Rod (who will continue to serve as Butterflies webmaster) to University of Tennesee doctoral student David K Sime. This year, under David’s able leadership, the Asheville Fungal Volunteer Department hopes to survey several different habitats within the Park in pursuit of new species.

A book recently published by the Ohio Biological Survey, entitled Myxomycetes of Ohio: Their Systematics, Biology, and Use in Teaching by Harold W Keller and Karl L Braun, is currently being publicized on the web  Myxo Web Site (www.wvonline.com), Kaw Valley Mycological Society (www.sunflower.com), New Mexico Mycological Society (http://Sorex.tvi.cc.nm.us/nmms/) and North American Mycological Society (http://namyco.org/). This book provides information on teaching with Myxomycetes at the high school and college/university levels. There are sections on the moist chamber technique, collection and care of specimens, microscopic study of specimens, in addition to keys to the orders, families and genera and a glossary of 43 terms. There are six pages of 42 color slides and nine full-page watercolor paintings of myxomycete species. The quality is such that beginning students should be able to picture key many of the more common species. [HK Keller]

"Prof Dr Masatoshi Saikawa, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Mycoscience, has asked me, as an Associate Editor of that journal, to remind USA mycologists of the availability of Mycoscience as an alternative publication venue. It is required of submitting authors that they join the Mycological Society of Japan, but the cost of joining as an International Member is very reasonable (2,250 yen), and it never hurts to be a little more international in our scientific operations. There are no page charges up to eight (8) printed pages, and the first 50 reprints are gratis. Mycoscience is a high-quality journal; just take a look at the production of images that the journal prints. I have published in Mycoscience with my partner Akira Nakagiri, and been very pleased with the quality of the photographs published. The instructions to authors, the membership application form, and the manuscript-transmission sheet can be found in MYCOSCIENCE 40(1), 1999, first two pages and last three pages of the issue." [Steve Newell (http://www.arches.uga.edu/~newell/) via MSA Post]

Upcoming Mycological Events

A Los Angeles Public Health Laboratory entitled "Nipping yeast diseases in the bud: identification, susceptibility testing and relevant case studies" has been scheduled for May 19, 2000. The unique one-day educational program, cosponsored by the National Laboratory Training Network (Pacific Office) and the Texas Department of Health, will be hosted by the Los Angeles County Department of Health and will take place before the Annual Meetings of the Medical Mycological Society of the Americas and the American Society for Microbiology. This is the 11th year that a specialized medical mycology program has been offered by the Texas Department of Health and the National Laboratory Training Network. The program brings together world-recognized authorities in medical mycology who will discuss traditional, rapid and automated identification schemes and technologies for yeast and yeast-like fungi. The critical topic of antifungal susceptibility testing will also be reviewed. This will include methodology and recommendations for selection of procedures, indications and significance, and test performance. Finally, case presentations of significant importance will be discussed. Dr Annette Fothergill (Fungus Testing Laboratory & Dept. of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center), David Pincus (Identification Development, BioMerieux-Vitek, Hazelwood, MO) and Dr Michael Rinaldi (Professor of Pathology, Medicine, Microbiology and Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Director, Fungus Testing Laboratory, University of Texas Health Science Center; Chief, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Audie Murphy Memorial Veteran’s Hospital, San Antonio) will serve as faculty.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants should be able to (i) discuss pros and cons of rapid versus traditional methods of yeast identification, (ii) describe appropriate test procedures for determining antifungal susceptibility of yeast isolates, and (iii) extrapolate and apply data from case studies to the care of patients with yeast infections. This program will be of particular interest to persons who work in areas of clinical microbiology, medical mycology, yeast taxonomy, infectious disease and public health.

Continuing education credits will be offered for laboratorians based on 6.0 hours of instruction. The NLTN-Pacific Office is an approved provider of continuing education for California medical laboratory licensees (accreditation #000022). This program qualifies for 6 contact hours of continuing education for California Clinical Laboratory licensees.

The workshop will be held in the Lobby Auditorium of the Administration Building at the Los Angeles County Health Services Administration, 313 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles CA 90012. Parking is available adjacent to the laboratory for $6/day. Facilitators: Shoolah Escott MS, MT(ASCP) Regional Coordinator, National Laboratory Training Network - Northeast Office, Boston, MA and James Harris PhD State Training Coordinator, Bureau of Laboratories, Texas Department of Health, Austin, TX.

Registration Fees: Individual program $95 (add $15 after May 1). Fee includes lunch, breaks and all course materials. To register, contact: NLTN-PACIFIC OFFICE, California Department of Health Services, 2151 Berkeley Way, Room 803, Berkeley, CA 94704 Phone 800.536.NLTN / 510.540.3991 FAX 510.540.2320. To avoid late fees, registration and fees must be received by May 1, 2000, so please register early! Confirmation letters, along with driving directions, will be sent after May 1. (Cancellation: At least 72 hours notice is required for a refund minus $15.00.) In compliance with the American Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations should notify the NLTN-Pacific Office (510.540.3991) at least 14 days prior to the workshop. For further information, please contact the National Laboratory Training Network (Pacific Office): Phone 800.536.NLTN Email poffice@nltn.org Web www.phppo.cdc.gov/dls/nltn/default.asp

Dr Guillermo Fuentes Dávila has clarified the previous information pertaining to this July’s Smut Workshop to be held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Smut Workshop itself will run from welcome cocktails on July 9 until noon, July 12. He notes that the tour, as well as both oral and poster presentations, will be held between those dates.

Payment for registration: Those living in Mexico may make checks payable to Sociedad Mexicana de Fitopatologia, AC (deposit to the Bancomer Bank in Irapuato -- Acc# 127-1004594-6), while those living in the USA may transfer funds through Monex (exchange institution) to Bank One Corporation in Chicago, IL (Acc# 1002096, ABA 071 000 013, payable to the Casa de Cambio Monex, SA de CV Executive Laura Godina). (Note: USA residents MUST indicate that the transfer is for payment to the Sociedad Mexicana de Fitopatologia AC). Both Mexican and American residents should fax a copy of the deposit form to Ing B María del Pilar Rivera Sánchez FAX 64-145898 (Email mrivera@cimmyt.exch.cgiar.org); those needing an official receipt should remember to send all appropriate information. On-site Registration: If you prefer, you may pay for your registration once you arrive in Puerto Vallarta; we accept traveler´s checks.

Manuscripts: Submission deadline for manuscripts to be published in the Proceedins is May 31, 2000. Manuscripts  which must not exceed 6 single-spaced pages (including tables, figures, and literature cited) formatted in Microsoft Word (or compatible), 12-point Times New Roman font  may be submitted via Email or by diskette.

For additional information, contact Dr Guillermo Fuentes Dávila or Ing B María del Pilar Rivera Sánchez CIMMYT Int Norman E Borlaug, Km. 12 entre 800 y 900 Valle del Yaqui, Apdo, Postal 140 Cd Obregón, Sonora CP 85000, Phone 64-141940, 145700, 145799 FAX 64-145898 (mrivera@cimmyt.exch.cgiar.org or g.fuentes@cgiar.org). Late-breaking information can be found at the website http://members.tripod.com/~sociedad/Sociedad.htm (abbreviated http://sociedad.cjb.net)

The Latin American Association for Mycology (ALM) invites all interested mycologists to the first Latin American Symposium on the Cultivation of Edible Mushrooms. This event will be held in two phases (1st -- March 23-25, 2000, Xalapa, Mexico; 2nd -- August 2-4, 2000, Rosario, Argentina). The purpose of the Symposium is to disseminate information on Latin American research and to stimulate the exchange of experiences between growers and scientistis. Participants in the first phase will include distinguished colleagues from Argentina (Dr Silvia Blumenfeld), France (Dr Jean Michel Savoie) and Mexico (Drs Daniel Martínez-Carrera, Hermilo Leal and J Ernesto Sánchez). Registration fees (US$) are $15 for students and $25 for others ($20 & $30 respectively for non-ALM members). Registration fees (cash or check) should be sent to Dr Gastón Guzmán, ALM President, Xalapa, Vera Cruz, México. For further information, contact Dr Gerardo Mata (FAX (28)187898 Email mata@ecologia.edu.mx)

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The Committee for the National Institute for the Environment (CNIE) became The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) [html version available at http://www.cnie.org/updates/65.htm] on January 26, 2000.

The Committee for the National Institute for the Environment (CNIE) has been working since 1990 to improve the scientific basis of environmental decision making. To accomplish that goal, CNIE initially set out to establish a federal National Institute for the Environment -- a concept endorsed by more than 400 academic, scientific, environmental, and business organizations. In 1997, CNIE determined that its goal could be accomplished if the NIE were organized under the National Science Foundation. On July 28, 1999, the National Science Board approved an interim report recommending that the National Science Foundation implement most of the activities initially proposed for a National Institute for the Environment. In October 1999, CNIE announced its support for the full and effective implementation of this report and suspended its call for the creation of a National Institute for the Environment to work in support of the National Science Foundation initiative.

Because the name "Committee for the National Institute for the Environment" may lead to confusion, as it implies that we are still committed to advocating the establishment of a separate entity, CNIE is changing its name to the National Council for Science and the Environment. NCSE will

Be guided by the needs of stakeholders.

Educate society about the importance of comprehensive scientific programs that integrate crosscutting research with knowledge assessments, education, information dissemination, and training.

Work toward the full implementation of the National Science Board report, Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation.

Facilitate stakeholder actions to develop a shared understanding of science, science needs and priorities, and efforts to link science with decision making.

Develop an online information dissemination system through which users can find understandable, science-based information about the environment.

We invite you to join with us in a permanent collaborative effort to share ideas, disseminate information, build consensus, and help bring about effective programs to improve the scientific basis for environmental decision making.

As always, we thank all of those individuals and organizations who have helped us over the past decade and hope that the new year brings success. Kevin Hutton, Webmaster, National Council for Science & the Environment, 1725 K St NW, Suite 212, Washington DC 20006 http://www.cnie.org (via Mary Palm].

"Administration proposes boosting environmental science funding: $136 million for NSF Biocomplexity initiative"  February 10, 2000 (from the National Council for Science and the Environment (Formerly Committee for the National Institute for the Environment)

The Clinton Administration has proposed increasing the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget by $675 million (+17%) to $4.57 billion for fiscal year 2001.

Biocomplexity and the Environment (BE), one of four major NSF budgetary initiatives, would grow to $136.3 million from $50 million this year. NSF has received more than 500 letters of intent for research proposals on its present $50 million special competition on biocomplexity in the environment.

The Biocomplexity and the Environment budget request, which went to Congress on February 7, includes:

· $50 million for "microscale systems" [systems operating at the scale of molecules and organisms];

· $30 million for "ecosystems" [interactions between human, biological, geological, and climate systems]

· $23 million for "planetary systems" [characteristics and the dynamics of the earth’s cycles]; and,

· $33 million for research platforms including about $12 million for initial construction of a National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). This facility will explore the biology of the planet (pole-to-pole) with state-of-the-art research tools and infrastructure."

According to NSF, "[t]he enhanced BE initiative will bring together interdisciplinary teams of scientists in an intensified effort to understand dynamic interactions within biological systems and the physical environment." Details are available at http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/media/2000/fsbiocom2001.htm

The National Council for Science and Environment will be analyzing this budget request to evaluate its consistency with the recommendations of the NSF report, "Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation," which was approved in final form by the National Science Board earlier this month. See: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/press/00/pr004.htm

Included in the $43.3 billion (+6%) request for civilian research and development are:

· $747 million (+14%) for Integrated Science for Ecosystem Challenges (ISEC), a coordinated multi-agency effort to improve understanding of causes and consequences of environmental stressors; understand the importance and ecological role of biodiversity; study ecosystem processes; make it possible to begin to apply information technology to ecological data.

· $1.74 billion (+ 2%) for the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program.

· $758 million (+14%) for research at the Environmental Protection Agency.

· $895 million (+10%) for research at U.S. Geological Survey - including a $30 million increase for Community/Federal Information Partnerships and a $10 million increase for development of decision support systems for resource managers.

· $302.5 million for oceanic and atmospheric research at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

· $1.406 billion for NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise. A new program led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and NASA to map, monitor and report on tropical forests.

The National Council for Science and Environment will report on the progress of these initiatives as part of our effort to educate scientists and decision makers about the need for science in environmental decision making.

• Kevin Hutton, Webmaster, National Council for Science and the Environment, 1725 K St NW, Suite 212, Washington DC 20006 http://www.cnie.org

Reviews

British Fungus Flora. Agarics and Boleti. 8/. Cantharellaceae, Gomphaceae and Amyloid-Spored and Xeruloid Members of Tricholomataceae (excl. Mycena). 1998. R Watling and E Turnbull. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK. 189 p. (Colour Identification Chart included).

Thirty-five genera are covered in this installment of a continuing survey of British Agaricales that began some 30 years ago. As with past issues, the survey begins with a short Introduction followed by eight pages of References Cited, generally broken down amongst the taxa included and then more finely by subject categories (e.g., Systematics, Ultrastructure, Chemistry, Cultural, Conservation, Molecular Biology, Development, Genetics, etc.) under a taxon name. Then follows the bulk of the text that provides a systematic arrangement of the British taxa and descriptive treatments of those taxa (from family rank down to species). On some pages the printed text is slightly blurred (every fourth page or so) and as such is distracting. The selection of taxa is artificial and for convenience (no pretense of phylogeny is suggested). Mycena is conspicuous by its absence, but is currently undergoing revision and those studies will be included in later parts of the Flora. Cantharellaceae and Gomphaceae cover 11 species, all fairly well-known. The survey of amyloid-spored and xeruloid taxa in the Tricholomataceae pro parte describe nearly 50 species for the British Isles. For this group, there are keys to subfamilies, tribes (where present), genera and finally species. After the description of macro- and microscopic features, a discussion of habitat and a general commentary follow. Nomenclature, comparison to related species, phenotypic variation, and synopsis are the usual subjects here. Following the systematic account, several indices appear: an Ecological List of Species (mycorrhizal hosts or preferred substrates), Synonyms and Misidentifications, Rejected Names, Epithets mentioned in Observations, and lastly, an Index of Species Described. The book ends with seven full-page plates of line drawings depicting macrohabit and microfeatures such as spores, cystidia, and pellis structures. A color chart was included in the review copy, but may only be available separately. Overall there are no surprises, and the consistent level of taxonomic expertise and accuracy is on par with the previous books in the series. The book should prove useful to all those individuals interested in a modern accounting of this group of agarics for the British Isles.

Handbook to Strategy 1 Fungal Species in the Northwest Forest Plan, 1999. USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, General Technical Report PNW-GTR-476. MA Castellano, JE Smith, T O’Dell, E Cázares, S Nugent. Available free-of-charge from: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, PO Box 3890, Portland OR 97208-3890.

In 1990, the US Fish and Wildlife Service added the northern spotted owl to the agency’s list of species considered "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. This listing, along with a large number of public challenges of US Forest Service timber sales and a variety of other factors led to a federal court finding that the Forest Service had not done an adequate job of planning for "retention of viable populations of vertebrate species well distributed across national forests" as it was required to do under the National Forest Management Act of 1976. As a result, the sale of timber on federal lands designated as critical habitat for the spotted owl (mostly within mature to old, or late-successional, forests) was halted. In the Pacific Northwest, this action brought to a head a long-running public controversy over the harvest of old-growth timber and, most importantly, focused national attention on the issue during the 1992 presidential campaign.

Following up on a campaign promise, newly inaugurated President Clinton convened a forest conference in April 1993 and, when it had concluded, promised a solution to the controversy within 60 days. Approximately 90 days later, the Clinton Forest Plan, also called the Northwest Forest Plan, had come into being. As set forth in the Record of Decision (ROD) on the Plan, 234 species of fungi, along with many other organisms, were listed as being particularly associated with the mostly old-growth forests that constitute the critical habitat for the spotted owl. Federal forest land managers must provide for the continued viability of these species on the lands under their stewardship. The ROD outlines four strategies for doing this and indicates which strategy, or strategies, will apply to which species. Strategy 1, which applies to more than half the species, includes compiling information on their distribution and ecology and then developing specific management recommendations for the sites where these fungi are known to occur.

Because few Forest Service personnel are familiar with fungi, the Forest Mycology Team in Corvallis, Oregon, has produced this comb-bound, large-format handbook as an aid for identifying 141 Strategy 1 fungi. The book consists of four main sections Introduction, Methodology, Keys to Taxa, and Species Information plus two appendixes, Acknowledgments, Literature Cited, and Glossary. The introduction provides both historical background and a primer on fungi for the non-mycologically inclined. Methodology provides guidelines for collecting, observing, preserving, and identifying macromycetes. The keys, dichotomous except for a synoptic key to the ramarias, include only the taxa in the book and their use requires familiarity with technical jargon and examination of chemical and microscopic features. The appendixes include hints for using the synoptic key, detailed guidelines for collecting and preserving specimens, and data forms and instructions for recording observations.

The main part of the book is the species descriptions. Each consists of a cross-reference to the appropriate name in the ROD list (some of the taxa had not been described when the ROD was prepared), indication of fungal family and general morphologic structure (mushroom, sequestrate, bolete, coral, etc.), listing of macro- and micromorphologic features, short indication of key identifying features, list of recorded collection sites with a map showing their locations, indication of fruiting season, and a literature reference. One hundred eighteen taxa are illustrated with fairly small (but clear) photographs, mostly in color. Unfortunately, no photos could be found for 23 taxa despite an extensive search through the archives of a large number of mycological photographers. There are no drawings of micro-features.

Overall, this is a well produced collection of illustrations and descriptions of rarely collected Pacific Northwest fungi and, as such, is a useful addition to the mycological literature. It should serve its intended purpose as a resource for Forest Service personnel, although the organization of the species descriptions alphabetically and the use of technical jargon will make it more difficult for nonmycologists to use than it could have been. For instance, arranging the taxa by general morphologic appearance (shape, color), as is done in The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (Lincoff 1981) would have been a big help those using the handbook in picture-matching mode. The use of microscopic and chemical features in the keys will deter users who are not experienced mycologists from using them. Further, the keys cover only the taxa included in the book. This, coupled with the paucity of comparative comments about possible look-alikes, makes it likely that users will identify many fungi as being those in the book when, in fact, they are not. Of course, this might increase the likelihood of the target species being brought to the attention of the Forest Mycology Team, albeit at the cost of false alarms.

For mycologists interested in this book as a general reference, a word of caution is in order. Don’t view it as a comprehensive list of endangered or old-growth forest fungi. It is highly biased by the amount and quality of information that the original list-making mycologists had available to them. For instance, among the 141 taxa in the book are 57 sequestrate fungi, 24 ramarias, and 8 phaeocollybias, but only 8 corts, and no suilluses, inocybes, russulas, or amanitas. There may be valid ecological reasons for this, but I suspect it also reflects uneven collecting, varied taxonomic expertise across different groups of fungi, and our general lack of knowledge about the distribution and ecological requirements of most fleshy fungi in this large complex region. However, as long as the limitations of the list are recognized, the book will serve as a valuable reference beyond its primary audience. In fact, it has already allowed me to identify two collections of Pseudaleuria quinaultiana over which I had been puzzling. And one last thing the price is right!

The Yeasts, A Taxonomic Study. 4th Edition 1997. CP Kurtzman and JW Fell (eds). US/Canada: Elsevier Science Inc., PO Box 945, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10160-0757. Europe: Elsevier Science Inc., PO Box 211, 1000AE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 1055 p. Price: $460US.

The current edition of "The Yeasts" continues the tradition of providing a comprehensive taxonomic survey of all known yeasts, now numbering over 700 species from around 100 genera. Thirty-eight authors, a veritable Who’s Who of yeast taxonomists, have participated: typically, only one or two author a single chapter and the majority of chapters deal with a single genus. This edition not only updates the taxonomic descriptions of yeasts, but also provides many significant improvements over earlier editions. It is an essential reference for anyone who must identify yeasts, but both its price and specialized content will ensure that it is largely restricted to well-endowed reference libraries.

As in past editions, there are many line drawings but, increasingly, photographs have been added. These help a great deal when interpreting structures such as ascospores. The compilation of organisms has now added several filamentous fungi that produce yeastlike forms including those tremelloid fungi where the monokaryon grows as a yeast. Also included is Prototheca, a yeastlike algal genus. Numerous other "yeastlike" organisms are not detailed for the decision was to restrict coverage of Ascomycetes to those fungi with affinity to the Saccharomycetes. Thus "black yeasts" and a several dimorphic human pathogens, such as Sporothrix schenckii and Histoplasma capsulatum, are not described. However, there is a key to several of the anamorph genera of Archiascomycetes and Euascomycetes that have a yeast phase and a phenotypic profile is included for Aureobasidium pullulans sensu lato, a complex of organisms commonly isolated from the environment.

The introductory chapters are particularly well planned. The editors provide a useful three-page description of the main rules governing the naming of species and how a taxon becomes accepted as having priority. Given that almost all yeast species have at least one and, not uncommonly, more than 10 synonyms, this can help newcomers understand the apparent vagaries of yeast taxonomy. Three chapters summarize the importance of yeasts in medicine, in industry and agriculture, and in ecology. Except for the former, these topics are new to the monograph and make a welcome addition as do the chapters on biochemical properties, cytology, and ultrastructure of yeasts. There are also descriptions of cell wall biochemistry, isoenzymes, myocins ("killer" toxins), nuclear DNA hybridization and nucleic acid sequencing (especially of rRNA and its genes), identification of coenzyme Q homologs, and characterization of cell wall carbohydrates. The book also retains a substantial chapter on standard methods for isolation, maintenance, and identification of yeasts; this is a core resource for anyone trying to identify yeasts by use of phenotypic characteristics. While most of the new chapters focus their subject on the characterization of species and strains, the discussion of myocins is much broader ranging and should be of great interest for its list of species that secrete antifungal products.

The heart of the book is the compilation of yeast species and the numerous keys that are used for identification. As well as the keys to genera, there is both a key to the species of a particular genus within each chapter and a key to all known yeasts that grow on conventional media. While this latter may not be the most easily used or most logical route for species identification, it can of great value when one is faced with a new organism. For each species, there is a standardized format to its description. This makes the monograph easy to use as a reference. There is a list of synonyms, a description of growth forms which includes, where known, the sexually derived spores, the results of a panel of physiological tests including sugar assimilation and fermentation, nitrogen sources, etc., the designation of the type strain, and the mol% G+C content. In addition to the original substrates, the description of the origin of those strains that were studied now includes the strain identifiers. This improvement will enable a taxonomist to obtain the same strains that were used for describing the properties of each species. The limited comments that often follow a species description typically emphasize features of significance to taxonomy. In contrast to the earlier editions, results of nucleic acid sequence analysis are beginning to be incorporated into several sections and this has led to substantial modification of the traditional taxonomy.

To use a reference book like this, it is essential that you can navigate the contents. All citations in the book have been placed in a 62-page chapter of references. No doubt this has saved space, but in such a massive book, it would be more convenient to have the citations at the end of the chapters. There are two indexes: one for the genera and their species and the other for the species epithets and varietal names described in the taxonomic section. This latter is essential when describing a new species, for a name may never be repeated. There is also a short glossary of terms, but there is neither a subject index nor a comprehensive index of the introductory chapters.

Whenever a monograph of such immensity is produced, there is bound to be some delay between the studying of isolates, the writing of chapters, and final publication. Because of this lag, readers should be aware that many chapters are somewhat out of date. For example, the chapter on Malassezia alerts the reader to changes in taxonomy that occurred in 1996: yet these changes are not detailed. In the past year or two, there have been major changes in yeast systematics due to the publication of compilations of rRNA sequences for almost all the species. As such, it has become obvious that several genera are polyphyletic and a number of the taxa are in a state of flux. For example, Candida glabrata is probably better considered as an anamorph of a Saccharomyces species than as a relative of Candida albicans. If a new edition of the book is published 15 years hence, I do not doubt that numerous additional genera and species will have been established. Certain genera that appear secure today will have been rejected. It has happened before: since the last edition of "The Yeasts," Hansenula has been abandoned and its species have been divided between Pichia and Williopsis.

High-tech approaches to identifying yeasts are not available to everyone, yet it is obvious that genetic characters, be they DNA:DNA homologies or nucleic acid sequences, drive yeast taxonomy. Nowhere is the importance of the genotype more obvious than in the discussion of Saccharomycopsis, a genus where the taxonomic history is enormously complex. Here, Kurtzman and Smith describe the genus as a clade that also includes species that had previously been placed in three other genera based on ascospore and ascus morphology. Thus phenotypic characteristics used for describing a genus need to be questioned as to their value. There is also an urgent need to consider what is the best way that yeast species should be defined. A number of organisms, for example Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis, are virtually indistinguishable in their phenotypic profiles yet they have been shown to have pronounced genotypic differences.

In many ways, advances in yeast systematics have acted as the bellwether for fungal systematics and this current edition of "The Yeasts" is a monument to the dedication of generations of scientists. Yeast taxonomists have been among the first mycologists to embrace the use of biochemical and physiological profiles as well as genetic methods for characterization of species. This book, with its detailed and careful analysis of species, is not only essential for persons who need to identify species today, but will also catalyze the orderly transition to a future where the characterization of yeast species is based on nucleic acid sequences. Then the laboratorian will be a robot, artificial intelligence will apply the names, and researchers studying novel isolates will no longer be overwhelmed by the diversity of tests that are currently needed for the identification of yeasts.

As the Editor-in-Chief of APS Press, I felt a public response was necessary and appropriate after reading Bryce Kendrick’s review of Illustrated Genera of Fungi Imperfecti, 4th Edition, by Barnett and Hunter (1998), in the February 2000 issue of Inoculum. Dr. Kendrick’s review raised two issues of primary concern to me. In addressing the first issue, the review was misguided from the onset since a major portion of the critique was based on the incorrect assertion that this was a new edition of a previously published book. This publication is clearly not a new edition. The book is a reprint of the 4th edition previously published in 1987 by Macmillan Publishing Company, albeit with the addition of some new introductory material and some corrections to the keys. This is stated in a very clear and straightforward manner in the Preface to this printing as a "...major reason for preparing this new printing of the fourth edition...." and is also clearly stated in all of the associated advertising and marketing brochures published by APS Press. APS Press became involved with this project in response to the many requests from our membership and customers to pursue the reprinting and availability of this book. These requests arose from the long absence of the book in the marketplace after Macmillan allowed it to go out of print and from the apparent lack of a suitable alternative publication.

The second issue of concern regarding the review was the misrepresentation of the publication process and policies of APS Press. Dr. Kendrick cited his "surprise that APS Press did not exercise greater care in the pre-production phase by having the manuscript competently reviewed." I am concerned with Dr. Kendrick’s change in the focus of his review from a critique of a book to a direct attack of publication policies for which he has no knowledge. Since this book is a reprint, it is not a typical APS Press product. APS Press literally reprinted the book from a "clean" copy of the 4th edition as published by Macmillan. Barry Hunter supplied the preface, new information, and the modified keys as electronic files which APS Press formatted to match the text and style of the camera-ready copy as closely as possible. Thus, all the problems, typos, and misspellings from the 4th edition that were cited in the review were obviously still there in this reprint.

Had this been a new publication or a new edition, the standard pre-publication process of APS Press requiring that books and all other products (e.g., CD-ROMS, videos, online publications) receive two external reviews prior to publication would have been followed. When the senior editor assigned to a particular project receives the review draft of the book or product, they select two reviewers with national or international expertise in that particular area in order to get independent input to help make the final version of the product as complete and accurate as possible.

Barnett and Hunter’s publication has a valid niche, perhaps not for the "purist" or professional mycologist, but for the student as an affordable companion to the other excellent, but more expensive, references that were cited in the review. For instructors, it is useful as a straightforward way to introduce students to the concept of "keys" as general tools and also serves to demonstrate that keys, almost without exception, have some shortcomings. Couldn’t part of the acknowledged usefulness of this publication simply be, as Dr. Kendrick mentioned in his review, "I do not know of a single book that covers this ground adequately"? As a representative of APS Press and a plant pathologist, I stand by the decision of APS Press to reprint this much needed book. However, I also strongly encourage anyone in the mycological community who recognizes the deficiencies of this book to consider producing a new one since there is obviously a need for such a publication.

I appreciate the opportunity to make this response.

• A Monograph of the Genus Pezicula and its Anamorphs. 1999. GJ Verkley. Studies in Mycology 44. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn/Delft, The Netherlands. 180 p. Price: Hfl85. Review needed.

• Colored Illustrations of the Ganodermataceae and Other Fungi. 1997. Edited by W Xingliang and Z Mu (eds). 350 p. Price: $67US (surface). Mail Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, PR China. FAX +86-10-68575909 Email hceis@public3.bta.net.cn (preferred) or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn (secondary). Pay with check, bank transfer or international post money on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

• Colored Illustrations of Macrofungi (Mushrooms) of China. (Chinese Edition with Latin Names) 1998. H Nian Lai (ed). 336 p. Price: $110US (surface), $130US (air).Mail Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, PR China. FAX +86-10-68575909 Email hceis@public3.bta.net.cn (preferred) or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn (secondary). Pay with check, bank transfer or international post money on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

• Current Advances in Mycorrhizae Research. 2000. GK Podilla and DD Douds, Jr (eds). APS Press, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St Paul MN. Book requested from publisher.

• Forest Mushrooms of China (Chinese Edition with Latin Names) 1997. LP Shao and CT Xiang (eds). 652 p. Price: (US) $127US (surface), $145US (air).Mail Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, PR China. FAX +86-10-68575909 Email hceis@public3.bta.net.cn (preferred) or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn (secondary). Pay with check, bank transfer or international post money on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

• Icones of Medicine Fungi From China. 1987, English Edition, Y Jianzhe (ed), 611 p. Price: $122US (surface), $148US (air). Mail Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, PR China. FAX +86-10-68575909 Email hceis@public3.bta.net.cn (preferred) or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn (secondary). Pay with check, bank transfer or international post money on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

previously listed books from november 1999

• From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology: Exploiting Fungi from Natural Resources for Novel Products. 1999. J Singh and KR Aneja (eds). Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers, 233 Spring Street, New York NY. 292 p. Review needed.

• Molecular Fungal Biology. 1999. RP Oliver and M Schweizer (eds). Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK. 377 p. Review needed.

• Septoria on Cereals: A Study of Pathosystems. 1999. JA Lucus, P Bowyer and MH Anderson (eds). CABI Publishing, 10 E 40th St, Suite 3203, New York NY, 353 p. cabi-noa@cabi.org. Price: $100US. Review needed.

OF RELATED INTEREST....

• China Biodiversity: A Country Study (English Edition), 1998. Organized by State Environmental Protection Administration, 476 p. Price: $78US (surface), $93US (air). ????????Mail Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, PR China. FAX +86-10-68575909 Email hceis@public3.bta.net.cn (preferred) or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn (secondary). Pay with check, bank transfer or international post money on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

• China’s National Report on Implementation of The Convention on Biological Diversity (English Edition). 1998. Published by the National Environmental Protection Agency of China 140 p. Price: $39US (surface), $45US (air). Orders: Mail Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, PR China. FAX +86-10-68575909 Email hceis@public3.bta.net.cn (preferred) or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn (secondary). Pay with check, bank transfer or international post money on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

INOCULUM ONLINE

Until now, only older Inoculum issues (formatted in less-than-dazzling Early Gopher Courier) have been available online. Beginning with Inoculum 51(1), current MSA newsletters can be accessed via a newly installed MSA homepage link. Henceforth, the Editor will make fully-formatted text (no graphics) of current issues available to the Webmaster, Tom Volk, shortly after newsletter publication date. Tom has already posted the first issue of 2000.
 

The International Botanical Congress established a permanent Committee for Fungi under the auspices of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy, which will celebrate its 50-year jubilee in 2000. This is the Committee that discusses and votes on proposals with respect to the conservation/rejection of fungal names and on modifications of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Those interested in reading the ongoing discussion regarding current proposals may do so at the above website, hosted by the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures. Email addresses for all Committee members (Chair Demoulin, Secretary Gams, Crane, Jørgensen, Kirk, Lizon, Nimis, Norvell, Parmasto, Reduilh, Ryman, Samuels, Schumacher, Sipman and Wen-Ying) are also provided for those seeking advice on nomenclatural problems.

Paul Kirk of CABI Bioscience in the UK announces that the CABI database of names of fungi (to which many mycologists contribute worldwide) is now available for searching on the web. He requests all to let him know your thoughts on this resource (praise or criticism) and to include the URL to all the people on your mailing list who might find it useful or include it in your website if you have one. Information on family names will follow shortly; names at higher ranks in a few months.

The University of Michigan Fungus Collection is pleased to announce a number of changes to their website. Technical descriptions for Lactarius (Hesler & Smith 1960), Phaeocollybia (Smith 1957), Tricholomopsis (Smith 1960), and Zelleromyces (Singer & Smith 1960) species can be retrieved as part of specimen search, species information search, or from the on-line key. Other genera will be added soon. Checklists for states, counties, and host or habitat can now be created from the 35,700-specimen database. A limited number of images can be retrieved in a specimen search, as can DNA sequences deposited in GenBank. The Geographic Information System has a new, simpler search form and a number of new features for drawing maps. The URL for the Fungus Collection home page is shown above. You can access the search forms directly at http://www.herb.lsa.umich.edu/bioinformatics.htm.

The New York Botanical Garden fungus herbarium has moved to the brand new, state-of-the-art Plant Studies Center. If you wish to read about and see photos of the new collection area and visitor work space, use the above prefix with herb/newfungusherb.html.

A database covering the numerous fungal collections of George Washington Carver has recently been added to the NYBG website. The Carver suffix is hcol/fung/arver.html.

ICOM 3 will be held in Adelaide, South Australia from July 8-13th, 2001. The web page is up and running at the above site. The Organisers are now also updating the Directory of Mycorrhiza Researchers. The information on the directory will be used for mail-outs in connection with the conference. The Directory has been posted on Bob Auge’s web page http://mycorrhiza.ag.utk.edu/a.htm.

Please check your entry and send any changes and corrections direct to auge@utk.edu.

NEW: Online access to Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia (RIAM) is available. Access to the online version of RIAM will be based on static IP addresses (as for example computers connected to a network in public institutions). Individual and Institutional subscriptions to online version of the journal will be available, and username and password based online subscription is also available on request. Current subscribers who wish to access the online version must first fill out the corresponding form via the second URL shown above.

Contents of RIAM 16(4) include: Voriconazole, a new wide-spectrum antifungal triazole (Brummer), Coelomycetous fungi in human disease (Sutton), The role of antifungal susceptibility testing in management of patients with invasive mycoses (Perea & Patterson), Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans display surface variations ... (Jabra-Rizket al.), In vitro antifungal resistance in Candida albicans from HIV-infected patients ... (Ceballos et al.), Amino acid variations of cytochrome P-450 lanosterol 4a-demethylase (CYP51A1) from fluconazole-resistant clinical isolates of Candida albicans (Manavathu et al.), Serotypes of Candida albicans isolated from HIV-positive patients (Oliver et al.)¸ Correlation between germ tube production, phospholipase activity and serotype distribution in Candida albicans (Vidotto et al.), Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in AIDS (Arteaga & Grande), Isolation of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus... (Corredor et al.), Some deep mycoses diagnosed by histopathology in South Eastern Nigeria (Khalil et al.), Onychomycosis due to Malassezia (Escobar et al.), Contribution to the aeromycological study in [Granada’s] atmosphere ...: seasonal and daily variations Sabariego et al.), Candidemia and cutaneous lesions in two patients without intravenous drug addiction (Arribi et al.), Contamination of peritoneal dialysis fluid by filamentous fungi (Febre et al.).

NOTE: Dr Royall Moore’s continuing counsel re problematical / defunct websites has helped us to keep this directory current. We welcome all such notifications.

7th International Symposium on Microbiology (50-6)

Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Inc has an opening for a full-time Mycologist / Analyst in their laboratory located in the San Francisco area. Environmental Microbiology Laboratory is a recognized leader in bioaerosol and microbial analysis and specializes in the analysis of surface and air samples for fungi. For more information about the company, see http://www.emlab.com. The primary responsibility will be to analyze air, surface, tape, and bulk samples by microscopy for fungi, and, in some cases, bacteria. Air sample analysis includes analysis of both culturable (Andersen) and non culturable samples (spore traps such as Burkard, Allergenco, and Zefon Air-O-Cell). Ongoing training and education will be part of the position. Good bright field microscopy skills, good communication, the ability to work well with a team, strong organizational skills, and attention to details are important. A B.S. in Microbiology is required. Experience recognizing environmental microfungi is very desirable. Please send your resume and the names of three references to Dave Gallup, Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Inc, 1800 Sullivan Ave, Suite 209, Daly City, CA 94015, Phone 650.991.3436 FAX 650.991.2243Email dgallup@emlab.com Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

Mycology Curatorial Assistant Position Available at the New York Botanical Garden. The New York Botanical Garden Herbarium has an open position for a Curatorial Assistant to participate in the incorporation of fungus collections recently donated by Tulane University. The position has funding for one year. Job duties: prepare, database and file the approximately 10,000 specimens of fungi received from Tulane University (The focus of the herbarium is thelephoroid, corticioid and polyporoid fungi from the Americas). Reports to: Dr Barbara M Thiers, Associate Director of the Herbarium Experience and qualifications required: a) course work in mycology, or herbarium experience with mycological collections preferred, b) experience with computer databasing and word processing, c) organized, neat, detail-oriented, and d) good verbal and written communication skills. Education: BS or MS in botany or mycology, with emphasis on taxonomy preferred. Starting Date: Negotiable, preferably by June, 2000. For more information about working at NYBG, please see the "Herbarium Employment" web page, http://www.nybg.org/bsci/herb/herb2.html For more information about this position, contact: Barbara M Thiers (