MSA Officers for 2000-2001

President: Orson K Miller,Jr
Dept Biology, Virginia Polytechnic & StateU
Blacksburg, Virginia USA 24601
540.231.6765
ormiller@vt.edu

President-Elect: Timothy J Baroni
PO Box 2000 Dept Biological Sciences, SUNYCollege
Cortland, NY USA 13045
607.753.2725
baronitj@snycorva.cortland.edu

Vice President: John W Taylor
111 Koshland Hall Dept Plant Biology, UCalifornia
Berkeley, CA USA 94720-3102
510.642.5366
jtaylor@socrates.berkeley.edu

Secretary: Lorelei LNorvell
PNW Mycology Service
6720 NW Skyline Blvd
Portland, OR USA 97229-1309
503.297.3296
lorelei@teleport.com

Treasurer: Jeffrey Stone
Dept of Botany & PlantPathology
Cordley Hall 2082
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon USA87331-2902
503.737.5260
stonej@bcc.orst.edu

Past President: Linda M Kohn
kohn@credit.erin.utoronto.ca

I want to take this opportunity to thank the many committee members who have acted on behalf of the Society during their terms in office. A society certainly runs on the collective efforts of its members and benefits from the combined input of everyone. We have a very fine Society that strives in every way to promote mycology, recognize the contributions of our members to the scientific community, and to promote and support our young members. Those of you who have completed assignments are especially deserving of our gratitude and no doubt will be called upon again in the interest of mycology and the Mycological Society. If you have not taken part in the many duties assumed by our various committees and wish to be included in the future, please let me know and make me aware of your particular interests. We are developing a list of those interested in future assignments and want to include you on that list.

The Society is also indebted to Dr Dave Griffin, past Editor -in-Chief, for the work which that he put in to produce the high quality that is so apparent in Mycologia. His organization, insistence on quality, and choice of an outstanding editorial board are all integral parts of his key to success. I must also note that each past President has put in at least four years of solid effort to ensure the continuation of the high standards and performance of MSA. I look forward in every way to a continuation of the fine work that has been done and welcome the new committee members and officers to our ranks.
 
 
 

Editor Don’s Next DeadlineAnyone having perused these pages over the past few issues is aware of the many wonderful contributions made by the ubiquitous Dr Donald G Ruch, who recently retired as Chair of the Education Committee and continues to serve as Annual Foray Chairman (2001 will be his fifth year). Although he suffers the same trepidation experienced by all who agree to edit our newsletter, he is eager to begin his three-year term as Inoculum editor with Volume 52 (beginning with the next issue). Henceforth, ALL contributions – including articles, updates, news items, and visuals – should be sent to Don (druch@bsu.edu). In order to give him extra time to prepare his first issue, the deadline has been moved forward one week to December 8, 2000.
 

Below is an artistic glimpse of Laurel Carroll, spunky mastress of the comma and consummate slicer of the which/that Gordian Knot, who during the past year has become this Editor’s most valuable proofing tool and devoted online friend. (The Editor is assured by the subject that the photo graininess was not a deliberate attempt to evoke the wistful beauty of a Vermeer + Monet but rather a direct result of her friend’s digital camera quality – or lack thereof. The end result is rather stunning, nonetheless.)

When asked what folks should know about her, she responded that she feels that she deserves "a full research fellowship to the university of my choice, putrid GRE scores notwithstanding." I, for one, hope she will be inundated by offers from MSAers in need of humor, intelligence, and educated productivity.
 

Although Inoculum has a habit of placing deadlines in the worst possible weeks and tends to consume all of an editor’s waking (and sometimes non-waking) hours, I have greatly enjoyed my past three years as your Editor. I have discovered MSA to be a consortium of good-humored, forgiving, helpful, and – for the most part (!) – articulate folks. It has taken only a little bit of wheedling to divest you of your research updates, your innermost wants and desires, and your photos. Without all of you to supply timely and thought-provoking material, the newsletter would cease to exist. We need two publications in the Society, for as Mycologia demonstrates our scholarship, so Inoculum embraces our humanity. I join my illustrious predecessors in thanking all MSA members who have responded so favorably in the past and ask that in the future you show your new Editor, Don Ruch, the same helpfulness and solicitude you have shown me.

Prepared by James ‘Buck’ Counts, Laura Henley, Melissa Skrabal, and Kenny Snell, students at Central Missouri State University and members of the CMSU Tree Canopy Biodiversity Team. Most photos here were taken by Jim Murray, who served as research project photographer.

The National Science Foundation

Small Grant Exploratory Research Program

This adventure begins with emails and telephone conversations with the program director of the Biotic Surveys and Inventories Program at the National Science Foundation. Inquiry about the Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) Program suggested that proposals for small-scale, exploratory, high-risk research in fields normally supported by the BIO Directorate would be appropriate for a tree canopy biodiversity research project. There are certain SGER criteria that had to be met, including "application of new expertise or new approaches to established research topics." Our research idea of accessing the tree canopy using the double rope climbing technique to explore and collect myxomycetes, macrofungi, mosses, liverworts, and lichens in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) appeared to match this criterion. We proposed to go where no one has gone before and make observations and collections of targeted groups of organisms in the GSMNP.

The Research Site: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The GSMNP is designated as an International Biosphere Reserve with more than a half million acres, serving as a refuge for one of the richest and most diverse assemblages of biota in the temperate world. It also has the largest remaining tracts of old growth forests in the Eastern United States, estimated at 100,000 acres. Our tree canopy biodiversity research project was also part of the Taxonomic Working Group (Fungal TWIG), a cooperative research effort with Discover Life in America, under the rubric of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). The ATBI represents a research effort to inventory and identify all life forms in the park.

Objectives of this tree canopy biodiversity project

The Student Climbers: Learning the Double Rope Climbing Technique

This project emphasized student involvement at all levels of the investigative process as part of the NSF Research in Undergraduate Institutions program. The student’s first taste of this was learning how to safely climb into the tree canopy. In early May a two-day tree-climbing school was held at Pertle Springs at Central taught by Charly Pottorff, a professional arborist.

Tree climbing is becoming a recreational sport with competitions and a variety of events, but for us it proved to be a valuable scientific tool, enabling safe access to the canopy with a minimum of damage to the tree. Our climbing instructor covered several different styles of climbing, the proper procedures and gear to use, and helped us decide which climbing technique would best suit each climber. For this project the double rope technique was determined to be the safest and most effective. Climbing school began by emphasizing physical conditioning, doing repetitive strengthening exercises that increased upper body strength in the hands, arms, and shoulders. Endurance training also included running up and down the football stadium seats. Once the exercises were over it was time for the classroom.

The classroom sessions covered how to safely climb, the use of different knots, and how to properly saddle up to prepare for the double rope climb. There were knots that one needed to learn how to tie in order to properly attach the climbing rope to the harness. These knots, including the bowline, buntline hitch, anchor hitch, and figure eight, serve to anchor the climbing rope to the harness, while the Blake’s hitch is a friction knot used in ascending and descending the rope. Each climber had to practice tying these knots until they were mastered, since their lives would eventually depend on them being done correctly.

The double rope climbing method is simple and safe to rig. Placing the line over a desired limb is usually accomplished by using a weighted throw bag and a lightweight line. The heavier climbing rope is then tied to the small line and pulled over the limb or crotch. The climber then ties one end to a carabiner on the climber’s saddle and the free end is wrapped with a special friction knot called the Blakes’s hitch.

The placement of the line in the tree is a challenging task, especially when the first crotch or lateral branches are 60 to 70 feet high. It is difficult to accurately hand throw a weighted bag with a line attached, so a Big Shot (a large sling shot mounted on a pole) is used to get a line up in a tree 60 to 70 feet on the first try. This was a great time-saving device. After the climbing rope is in position around a sturdy limb or crotch, a vertical ascent is possible. If the climber chooses to go straight up the rope, this maneuver requires tremendous upper body strength and control. If the climber uses the tree trunk along with a rhythmic body thrusting movement, he/she can literally walk up the trunk. Once standing on a lower branch and tied to the trunk by a safety line, the climber advances the rope to a higher branch. To advance, one end of the rope needs to be unattached from the harness. Then, using either a throw line and weighted bag or a monkey’s fist (a mass of the climbing rope wrapped so it will unwrap after going over the branch), the rope is thrown over the desired branch. The climbing rope is then pulled over the branch and reattached to the harness. After the climber has reached the desired height, the easy part is the descent. All that is required here is to hold on to the friction knot and then slide down the rope. However, the descent must be controlled in order to keep the rope from burning. With time, a climber becomes more relaxed, trusts the gear, and the climb becomes much more enjoyable.

Student Personal Tree Canopy Experiences

What is it like to be 100 feet up in the very top of a tree? A flood of roller coaster emotions bubbled up each time I swayed to and fro at unbelievable heights in the treetops of the old growth forests of the Smoky Mountains. I had gone where nobody has ever gone before, collecting specimens of myxos, mosses, liverworts, and lichens. Way up there experts say an undiscovered treasure trove of biodiversity exists, but I say up there in the treetops lies a pot of gold waiting to be revealed. There is a multitude of microscopic beauty waiting to be discovered. I found my personal gold on a white oak tree (Quercus alba) between 30 to 70 feet, where distinct plasmodial tracks gave rise to iridescent, gold sporangia. These colorful sporangia represented a new species of Diachea and were truly a spectacular sight. Each lichen, moss, liverwort, and myxo wore its own array of colors and displayed its own growth patterns. Simultaneously, excitement at discovering such uniqueness, bewilderment of how they – and I – got way up there, awe in the panoramic view, and pride in doing what no person has ever done before in the GSMNP saturated my heart and soul. I would not have given up this exhilarating experience for any price.

Student Research Team Members

The Central Missouri State University (CMSU) student climbers were represented by undergraduate students, James ‘Buck’ Counts, Melissa Skrabal, and Laura Henley, who are biology majors in their junior and senior years. Kenny Snell is a high school biology teacher returning full-time to obtain his masters degree. The undergraduate students will study three tree canopy research topics as part of the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). Research topics will involve (i) the study of tardigrades inhabiting mosses, myxomycetes, and moss/liverwort associated macrofungi, (ii) discovery of new undescribed species of myxomycetes and other taxa using digital imaging of the life cycle stages, and (iii) research on myxomycete biodiversity on oak (genus Quercus) species.

Myxomycete, moss, liverwort, and lichen biodiversity will also be studied by comparing species assemblages and species richness of the tree canopy versus ground sites in the immediate area. Targeted samples were collected from over 160 trees representing over 25 different tree species. These samples will be scanned for specimens directly on the bark surface using a dissecting microscope. Bark samples will then be placed in moist chambers for culture of the organisms. These student research topics are interrelated and will require teamwork in sharing data and cooperation in the identification of the targeted organisms. These research projects will also require interaction with the multidisciplinary team members, whose help is greatly appreciated. The results should yield remarkable findings and provide a better understanding as to the importance of baseline biodiversity data in this unexplored ecosystem.

Past and Present Results

The formal study of the myxomycetes in the GSMNP is limited to three publications – (i) LM Cooley’s collections in eastern Tennessee, (ii) the 1939 Mycological Society of America foray that included Robert Hagelstein and Joseph Rispaud from the New York Botanical Garden, and (iii) the 1949 and 1950 collections made by Arthur L Welden as part of his MS degree from the University of Tennessee. These collections yielded 83 species in the Park. The description of collection sites in these papers is scanty, but it is obvious that most of the 83 species were found from ground sites and only a few from head-height samples of living and dead trees.

Our tree canopy biodiversity study has already produced new records for the park and more will emerge as the samples are scanned microscopically and cultured in the laboratory. This is a preliminary list of myxomycetes gathered in two separate forays from June 19 to July 6 and July 31 to August 17, 2000. These species are arranged alphabetically and represent new records for the GSMNP: Badhamia papaveracea, B. rugulosa, Badhamiopsis ainoae, Calomyxa metallica, Craterium minutum, Cribraria aurantiaca, C. violacea, Diachea sp.nov., Diderma chondrioderma, D. corrugatum, Didymium clavus, Echinostelium coelocephalum, E. colliculosum, Enteridium splendens var. juranum, Licea kleistobolus, L. inconspicua, L. parasitica, L. pedicellata, Lindbladia tubulina, Lycogala exiguum, Macbrideola cornea, M. decapillata, Perichaena minor var. pardina, Physarum crateriforme, P. decipiens, P. murinum, P. pusillum, P. pezizoideum, P. robustum, and Trabrooksia applanata. Identification of lichens from the approximately 3,000 specimens obtained in this initial survey is not yet completed, but preliminary data indicates that a probable total of between 200 to 300 species were found. Of these, between 150 to 160 species will be new accessions to the park’s current lichen list.

Literature Cited

Cooley LM. 1934. A preliminary list of the Myxomycetes of Eastern Tennessee. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 9: 84-86.
Linder DH. 1941. Mycological Society of America: Report on the 1939 foray. Mycologia 33: 570-578.
Welden AL. 1951. A taxonomic survey of Myxomycetes of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Journal of the Tennesee Academy of Science 26: 271-276.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks go to Jay Raveill of Central, who gave demonstrations in the field on proper specimen processing for the tree voucher specimens. He was also responsible for the identification and preservation of the tree voucher specimens in Central’s herbarium collection. Melissa Skrabal designed and rendered the colored sketches for the Tree Canopy Biodiveristy logo that has been made into the patch above, which is displayed on our webpage at <http://www.cmsu.edu/biology/bio/index.htm>. Our webmaster, Mike Ferro, spent many hours preparing our webpage.

by Larissa Vasilyeva

After graduating from Leningrad State University, Dr Vasilyeva moved to the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Biology & Soil Science in Vladivostok. In addition to her many works on pyrenomycetous fungi (her Doctor of Science degree, obtained in St Petersburg, focused on the "Pyrenomycetes of the Russian Far East"), she has written several philosophical treatises on general taxonomic theory. Dr Vasilyeva served several years as the elected Russian representative to the Asian Committee of the International Mycological Association.

Introduction

Perhaps I am not alone in finding Scott Redhead’s commentary on the "PhyloCode" in Inoculum 51(3) timely, for other taxonomists must feel that attempts to dismantle the current Linnaean-based Code will only threaten taxonomy and disrupt taxonomic theory much more drastically than most people realize. Stafleu (1971) has referred to Linnaeus as a "genius of order," yet it seems that once more taxonomy is to be plunged into chaos.

Taxonomists who are disturbed by the "necessary" taxonomic changes mandated by new data should be warned by the phrase "Farewell to Species." It has been said that one of the main causes of increased nomenclatural instability is the recent explosion of DNA-based information. Of course, new data will challenge earlier taxonomic concepts, but this is how knowledge normally grows. We need not fear such instability in the system nor should we create a false ‘stability’ by destroying the very core of taxonomic order with subjective character assessments and irresponsible personal preferences. Those who propose a new "PhyloCode" suggest that elimination of Linnean-based taxonomic categories and binomials will preserve freedom of taxonomic thought and action (De Queiroz and Gauthier 1994: 29), but it strikes me that such "freedom" really resembles anarchy more than anything else.

What is the most serious deficiency in the Linnaean hierarchy?

Kevin de Queiroz and Jacques Gauthier (1994: 27) answer this question as follows: "the codes are Linnean rather than evolutionary in that their most fundamental concepts and principles are based on Linnean taxonomic categories," yet "these concepts and principles make reference neither to common descent nor to any other evolutionary phenomenon."

What do they suggest to improve the situation? De Queiroz (1992) suggests that traditional definitions of taxa ("in terms of sets of organismal traits") be replaced by "phylogenetic definitions." In other words, a taxon should be defined based on the shared ancestry of its members. A good suggestion, indeed. As taxa evolve, however, common ancestry becomes "fossilized" in two ways.

On the one hand, species within a given genus may be ancestors or descendants of one another. Taxonomists might determine this ancestry by comparing the primitive and advanced states of certain characters. In fact, lines of character development are the only "phylogenetic relationships" that might be detected, but differences in character states between species cannot define the genus in question, they can only define species. On the other hand, species within a genus have common generic character states that also result from common descent, if one takes into account the hierarchical development of biota and the fact that higher taxa appear because of differentiation of former species (cf. Vasilyeva 1999). In both instances, common descent may be involved in the traditional definitions in terms of sets of organismal traits. The important consideration here is not to replace definitions or abandon Linnaean categories, but to elaborate methods that will help us find the proper hierarchy of "common descent" in keeping with characters of different levels ("synapomorphies" in cladistic terms). Using such methods, even Linnaean binomial nomenclature can be logically compatible with phylogenetic taxonomy. Do phylogenetic taxonomists who attack Linnaean concepts and principles have such methods? No, they do not. More than that, their dichotomous relationship schemes (which suggest more numerous levels in a taxonomic hierarchy compared to the relatively few "mandatory" Linnaean categories) strongly impede progress toward a truly "phylogenetic system."

Are there enough taxonomic categories to cover all possible relationships?

Phylogeneticists answer this question in the negative. I think that the number of taxonomic ranks presented in the last edition of Ainsworth & Bisby’s Dictionary of the Fungi (Hawksworth et al. 1995: 94) is fair enough, although the scheme is surely Linnaean-based (with some levels added). So, what makes the two approaches incompatible?

Curiously, attempts to modify the Linnaean hierarchy so as "to represent the phylogenetic relationships between species" (Griffiths 1976: 168) have been justified by philosophically unfortunate considerations. It is said that the Linnaean model "assumes that species occupy a fixed level in relation to taxa of other ranks, but this cannot be so… since there are species at all levels in the real course of phylogenies" (italics in original). Indeed, the Linnaean model assumes that species (or, to be more precise, species characters) occupy a single level in the hierarchy; such a model surely corresponds to the hierarchically evolving world. Species cannot exist at all levels. It is possible that such an idea originated from the practice of building dichotomous keys to numerous species where species only appear to occur at "every" level.

It is hardly possible to reject the Linnaean model when one considers the vain "subordination" of differences that have value only at a single level. However, precisely such a rejection is often accomplished in dichotomies.. Not without reason have pheneticists believed that diagrammatic trees distort the "actual phenetic relationships found in nature" (Sneath and Sokal 1973: 201). Many characters that are of equal rank simply cannot be subordinated; instead they form "lattices" or "grids" in multidimensional spaces where taxa can then be characterized by combinations of character states. Based on the premise that "many different hierarchical arrangements can be made" of objects from combinatorial structures (Griffiths 1974: 89), the idea of the existence of a unique hierarchical system has been questioned and thought to represent a "naïve" kind of thinking. Character combinations that are so widely spread throughout the fungal kingdom, however, can hardly serve as evidence against a unique taxonomic hierarchy; they serve, instead, merely as evidence against strict dichotomies.

This becomes especially evident in the modern molecular phylogenies (i.e., the dichotomous representations based on differences in nucleotide bases). One often reads that "cladistic analysis of phenotypic data…yielded equally parsimonious trees" (Chen et al. 1999: 87) or "over 12,000 equally parsimonious trees are possible for the 142 taxa" (Parmasto 1995: S843). Such observations strongly suggest that the most "parsimonious" structure for these kinds of data is a network at a single level.

The difference between a cladistic and a typological, "Linnaean," approach (the latter as outlined recently in Vasilyeva 1999) may be summarized as follows.

Imagine that there is a large genus of organisms consisting, say, of 1000 "species." Cladists will "subordinate" these "species" within a dichotomous dendrogram or tree, concluding that the large number of branches in their key serve as evidence against Linnaean hierarchy. On the other hand, a typologist will question the equal rank of the considered "species" and subject them to special testing or rank coordination. In the latter instance, one discovers the most frequent differences differentiating "species", builds a so-called "hierarchical type" ("ordination") of these differences, and arrives at a much smaller number of taxa that are really equal in rank, showing many other differences at lower or higher levels. Some lumping or splitting activity may result, so that one obtains a more natural character hierarchy and, accordingly, more natural groups. Nonetheless, there is minimal impact/influence on the number of hierarchical levels, so that the old Linnaean categories and binomials are good enough, even today. I really do not see a reason for abolishing informative endings that indicate the relative hierarchical levels of taxa.

What is the PhyloCode, really?

It was not without reason that the thought of chaos popped into Scott Redhead’s head: the new PhyloCode may serve merely to legitimize individualized activity. For those striving to codify this new code, it is not important that some group was described as a "genus" when it appears to be only a "subgenus" after my character weighting and rank coordination; to them it is only important that it is a "monophyletic group." It would seem that this might lead to even more excessive splitting than occurred 20 years ago when Bryce Kendrick (1980: 339) complained that "there are now too many genera," with the end result that nobody will be able to make groups comparable. After all, some people believe that "there is no logical reason why taxa (monophyletic groups) must be classified (that is, ordered into classes or categories)" (italics in original) (Griffiths 1976: 160). Such people should not be engaged in taxonomy or discuss the foundations of biological systematics at all. "Categories" (different character levels) function logically as tools for coordinating taxa but ontologically they are fundamental steps in the increase of biological diversity. Many taxonomists should be embarrassed by "the proposal to replace the Linnaean hierarchy with the principle of descent" (De Queiroz 1997: 128), since the hierarchical structure in the systematics of living organisms is the only place where "descent" is conserved and may be expressed.

In general, I do not think that such word combinations as "phylogenetic nomenclature" or "PhyloCode" are well chosen. If taxonomists are to be able to subordinate characters properly and, as a consequence, to circumscribe more natural groups, the taxon names (nomenclature) will be "phylogenetic" automatically. As for the Code, it calls for the ordering of taxonomists, not taxa. If two taxonomists in Europe and Asia describe the same taxon, there really should be rules coordinating what that taxon can be called.

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge Scott Redhead for suggesting that I write my views on the PhyloCode and thank Lorelei Norvell for "polishing" my English.

References

by Steven L Stephenson, Jean-Marc Moncalvo, Rajandra P Bhatt, and Ashok Kumar

Thanks to recent grants from the Division of International Programs of the National Science Foundation in the United States and the Department of Science and Technology in India, a research project comparing the assemblages of ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with forests in eastern North America and northwestern India is currently underway. Although geographically separated, the two areas have a number of ecologically important ectomycorrhiza-forming trees in common, including oaks, pines, spruce, and fir. However, taxonomic relationships of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms from the two regions remain unknown. While several studies have reported about the mushroom flora of a number of areas within the Appalachian Mountains, fungi from northern India have been poorly documented. The first objective of this project is, therefore, to study ectomycorrhizal mushrooms from the latter region, in order to identify the relative number of morphotypes present in both areas. It will then become possible to compare taxonomic relationships of similar morphotypes using molecular tools and phylogenetic methods.

The two PIs from India (RP Bhatt and A Kumar) are not unfamiliar with the mushroom flora of eastern North America. Bhatt was a visiting scientist at Virginia Tech (where he worked with OK Miller) for two years (1990-1992), and Kumar spent several months at Fairmont State College in 1992. An outcome of their earlier work in the United States was the publication of a preliminary checklist of fungi from the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia. The two investigators from the United States (SL Stephenson and J-M Moncalvo) also have previous field experience in India. Stephenson spent three months as a Fulbright scholar at Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla in 1987, whereas Moncalvo visited higher elevation forests in Sikkim (northeastern India) and the Western Ghats (southwestern India) in 1992. In this research project, the primary study sites to be used in India are the Narkanda and Dharamshala areas of Himachal Pradesh and the Garhwal area of Uttar Pradesh. The primary study sites selected in the United States are the USDA Fernow Experimental Forest near Parsons in Tucker County, West Virginia, and the Mountain Lake Biological Research Station in Giles County, Virginia.

Last year Bhatt and Moncalvo selected five diverse sampling sites in the Pauri area of Uttar Pradesh and collected over 100 ectomycorrhizal taxa. Although this region is highly populated and disturbed by human activities, it was still possible to collect in relatively well-preserved forests. The five areas selected for mushroom samplings include all of the major forest types occurring between 1800 and 3000 m. in Uttar Pradesh. These include communities dominated by Cupressus torulosa, Cedrus deodara, Quercus incana, Pinus roxburghii, and one mixed community.

In July of this year, Kumar and Moncalvo (accompanied by the mushroom photographer Taylor Lockwood) selected sampling sites in the Dharamshala area in Himachal Pradesh and collected about 80 taxa. Forests in the Dharamshala area are far less disturbed than those in the Pauri area but rather similar in tree composition. Once again, five sampling sites were selected to best represent the diversity of forest types. During the period of late July and early August, Stephenson and Bhatt collected in the Narkanda area in Himachal Pradesh, as well as in the Pauri area. The forests at Narkanda are predominantly coniferous, with Picea smithiana and Abies pindrow being the two most important species present. Bhatt spent three weeks during September in the United States, where he and Stephenson collected mushrooms in the Fernow Experimental Forest and at Mountain Lake. At Mountain Lake, the two were joined by Moncalvo and Alexander Kovalenko, a mycologist from the Komarov Botanical Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia.

A preliminary comparison based upon earlier published and unpublished checklists and recently collected materials show that eastern North America and northwestern India have at least 10 percent of their ectomycorrhizal mushrooms in common. However, similar morphotypes collected in both areas are also known to be widespread in the northern temperate forests and almost certainly represent species complexes. These include taxa identified as Phylloporus rhodoxanthus, Laccaria amethystina, L. laccata, Amanita vaginata, A. pantherina, A. virosa, A. rubescens, A. caesarea, A. muscaria, A. gemmata, Russula rosea, R. albida, Hydnum repandum, Cantharellus cibarius, C. minor, and Hebeloma crustiliniforme. Eventually, a broader geographic sampling of these taxa and the use of molecular data and phylogenetic methods should shed light about taxonomic and phylogeographic relationships between populations within these species complexes. This may help to understand the origin of the mycoflora in the relatively young lower Himalaya Mountains of northwestern India.

by Omon Isikhuemhen

Nigerian Omoanghe S Isikhuemhe received his BS and MS at the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, where he served as Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Botany until leaving to study in Germany and the Czech Republic. In the United States he has studied practical application of molecular techniques. After obtaining his PhD in 1999, he conducted postdoctoral work at the Science and Technology Agency of Japan. He has conducted research on tropical edible and medicinal mushrooms and developed techniques for their low-cost production in developing tropical countries.

Nigeria’s first international mushroom foray took place from May 23 to June 13, 2000. Nigerian mycologist, Dr Omoanghe Isikhuemhen (more commonly known as "Omon"), had planned a small international foray to document species in his native country and prepare the way for other international forays and the future development of a mycological herbarium at the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. While Omon was working on the international front to coordinate mycologists coming from abroad, another mycologist, Prof Dr JA Okhuoya (currently Dean of the Science Faculty at the University of Benin), secured permission and financial support from the university’s Vice Chancellor to host the foray.

On May 23, Omon, H Neda from Japan, and Taylor Lockwood from the USA (see right) flew into Nigeria to join the local team for the foray. The University of Benin graciously provided accommodations, food, and local transport for all participants and the logistical support that made the foray a success. Key local team members were Prof Okhuoya, Dr APO Dede (Head, Botany Department), Dr CC Osubor, Dr GO Anoliefo, Dr M Idu, EO Akpaja, OO Osemwengie, and a host of graduate and undergraduate students.

While mushroom hunting, we found many known species as well as many possibly new species. Collections made and identified so far represent the genera Auricularia, Boletus, Calvatia, Campanella, Chaetocalathus, Collybia, Crinipellis, Favolaschia, Ganoderma, Gloiocephala, Hohenbuehelia, Kuehneromyces, Lentinus, Lepista, Macrolepiota, Marasmiellus, Marasmius, Nothopanus, Omphalotus, Oudemansiella, Panellus, Pleurotus, Polyporus, Psathyrella, and Schizophyllum (commune). Some of the mushrooms collected can be viewed on Taylor Lockwood’s webpage (http://www.fungiphoto.com/).

The local people were very skilled in locating certain species that they know very well and use as food or medicine. On many occasions, they would abandon their daily activities to follow us deep into the forest and render help that ranged from cutting paths through the jungle to carrying research and collected materials back to our parked vehicles. The photo at left shows one of our collection excursions.

During the foray, research areas and plots were mapped for future collecting and continuous monitoring by the local team. Furthermore, the local team consisting of faculty and students was adequately trained in the art and science of mushroom collection and handling (e.g., for preservation and further studies). Neda and Taylor each generously donated a professional camera to the host laboratory to use in documenting fungi found during the planned future inventories of the newly established plots.

Collected materials are being studied further in collaboration with the labs of Professors JA Okhuoya (University of Benin, Nigeria), R Vilgalys (Duke University, USA), and H Neda (Kumamoto, Japan).

The recently concluded foray is intended to become an annual occasion for the next five to seven years, with the next foray planned for June, 2001. Any interested person is welcome to join future forays. For further information and registration for the 2001 collection trip, please contact Dr Omon S Isikhuemhen, Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC. Email omon_isi@hotmail.comor isikhuemheno@mail.ecu.edu .

by Donald Pfister

Dr Pfister, of the Farlow Herbarium at Harvard, is official Society Historian and a former MSA President.

Each year at the annual meeting of the MSA we present the William H. Weston Award for excellence in teaching. Because there are few remaining who knew William "Cap" Weston (1890-1978), I prepared this brief note to introduce members to our first MSA president and distinctive teacher. A memorial by Charles M Wilson, one of his graduate students, was published in Mycologia 71:1103-1106 (copies available from the Farlow Herbarium) and might be consulted for biographical details.

"Cap," as he was known from an early age, was an accomplished researcher, primarily working on what was then referred to as the "phycomycetes" with a particular interest in plant pathogenic members, notably Sclerospora. But it was as a teacher of both undergraduate and graduate students that he left a lasting mark. For many years he taught a portion of the introductory biology course sequence at Harvard. It was said that he could keep undergraduates awake, entertained and even interested despite the fact that the class was immediately after lunch. Before World War II, Harvard and Radcliffe were gender segregated. Weston gave his lecture to the Harvard men and then crossed to RadcliffeYard where the same lecture was delivered to the Radcliffe women. The Radcliffe lectures were often shorter or were laced with pauses –– these to account for the jokes he deemed inappropriate for women to hear.

Cap taught for 39 years at Harvard, during which time he sheperded a phenomenal 54 graduate students to their PhD and inspired more than his share of undergraduates to continue with cryptogamic studies. His students came to be among the most influential scientists of the mid- 20th century. He perhaps would have been the first to say that he provided the opportunity for bright students to learn and study together in a congenial atmosphere. Charles Wilson pointed out that the Cryptogamic Laboratory was a place where students were encouraged to learned from each other.

He developed a lecture called "How to give a scientific paper." In it he demonstrated methods, both effective and ineffective, for presenting information at a professional meeting. Were it updated for today he no doubt would have used cladograms too small to read or slides inserted upside down and bedecked with an array of fingerprints. In his presentation he used broken, marred, and dusty lantern slides. He was an actor and would portray the foibles of friends and colleagues. His characters would talk to the projected image on the screen or dart from side to side of the stage with a fencer’s grace. Generations of students were instructed in the fine points of teaching with this wonderfully constructed piece. In latter years, despite the anachronisms of the presentation, this performance was much in demand both locally at Harvard and in mycology programs throughout the country, and so a young audience was introduced to his wit and wisdom.

In retirement he took teaching to another audience – grade school children. In what must have been a prototype for science on television, he presented science for children. One of my Harvard colleagues mentioned that he was less successful in this venture than one might have suspected, in part because his vocabulary was too rich and varied. Among his papers, now in the University archives at Harvard, are boxes of drawings and letters to him from his young viewers. They attest to his popularity among this younger set.

The teaching prize was created in the Society in 1979 to recognize those who bring to their teaching verve, enthusiasm, and dedication. No one could serve as a better example than William H Weston.

2000-2001 MSA Official Representatives and Standing Committees

Representatives

Standing Committees

Education

Michael Tansey, Chair (1999-2003), <mtansey@indiana.edu>
Meredith Blackwell (2001-2004), <btblac@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>
James Bever (2001-2005), <jbever@bio.indiana.edu>
Peggy Schultz (2001-2005), <pschultz@bio.indiana.edu>

Thomas Volk, <volk.thom@uwlax.edu>
Richard Korf, <rkorf@att.net>
David Farr, <davef@nt.ars-grin.gov>
Ellen Farr, <farr.ellen@nmnh.si.edu>
Linda Kohn. Acting Chair, <kohn@erin.utoronto.ca>

Endowment

Judi Ellzey. Chair (1998-2001), <jellzey@utep.edu>
Karen Snetselaar (1998-2002), <ksnetsel@sju.edu>
Esther McLaughlin (1999-2003), <mclaugh@augsburg.edu>
Don Hemmes (2001-2004), <hemmes@hawaii.edu>

Finance

Orson Miller. Chair (2001-2003), <ormiller@vt.edu>, <orsonk@cs.com>
Richard Kerrigan (1999-2003), <rwk@bigfoot.com>
Richard Howard (1999-2003), <Richard.J.Howard@usa.dupont.com>

International Affairs

(4 yr terms re 1999 By-Laws)

Teresa Iturriaga, Chair (1997-2001), <titurri@usb.ve
Pedro Crous (1997-2001), <pwc@maties.sun.ac.za>
Kevin Hyde (1998-2002), <kdhyde@hkucc.hku.hk>
Sharon Cantrell (1999-2004), <sharonac@coqui.net>
Leif Ryvarden (1999-2004), <leif.ryvarden@bio.uio.no>

Mycologia Memoirs

Richard Humber, Chair (1998-2001), <rah3@cornell.edu>
John Zak (2001-2004), <yzjoz@ttacs.ttu.edu>
Dennis Desjardin (1998-2001), <ded@sfsu.edu>

Hilisa Esteban, ex officio (Chair, Sustaining Membership Committee), <estebah@basf-corp.com

Lorelei Norvell, ex officio (MSA Secretary), <lorelei@teleport.com>

Nomenclature

Walter Gams, Chair (1998-2001), <Gams@cbs.knaw.nl>
Richard Korf (1997-2000), <rkorf@att.net>
Paul Kirk (1999-2003), <p.kirk@cabi.org>

Sustaining Membership

Hilisa Esteban, Chair (1999-2003), <estebah@basf-corp.com>
Wendy Yoder (1998-2001), <windy@nnbt.com>
Jon Polishook (1998-2002), <jon_polishook@merck.com>
Ann Horan (2000-2003), <ann.horan@spcorp.com>

2000-2001 MSA Official Rotating Committees

Rotating Committees

Biodiversity

Jean Lodge. Chair (1999-2001), <djlodge@coqui.net>
Joe Ammirati (1999-2002), <cort@u.washington.edu>
Sabine Huhndorf (1999-2003), <huhndorf@fmnh.org>
Tom O’Dell (1999-2004), <odellt@fsl.orst.edu>
John Paul Schmit (1999-2004), <jpschmit@life.uiuc.ed>

Culture Collections

Jack Fell (1998-2001), Chair, <jfell@rsmas.miami.edu>
Keith Seifert (1999-2002), <seifertk@em.agr.ca>
Albert Torzilli (1999-2003), <atorzill@gmu.edu>

Ecology

Steven Bentivenga, Chair (1998-2001), <bentiven@uwosh.edu>
Ignacio Chapela (1999-2002), <ichapela@nature.berkeley.edu>
Bitty Roy (1999-2003), <roy@geobot.umnw.ethz.ch>
Mike Allen (2001-2004), <mallen@ucrac1.ucr.edu>
Estelle Levetin, Chair (1999-2003), <estelle-levetin@utulsa.edu>
Paul Szaniszlo (1998-2001), <pjszaniszlo@mail.utexas.edu>
James Scott (1999-2003), <jscott@sporometrics.com>
Janet Gallup (2000-2004), <jmgallup@aol.com>

Honorary Membership

George Carroll, Chair (1999-2001), <GCarroll@oregon.uoregon.edu>
James Ginns (1999-2002), <ginnsj@telus.net>
Amy Rossman (2000-2003), <amy@nt.ars-grin.gov>

Karling Annual Lecture

Stephen Peterson, Chair (1998-2001 ), <speterson@sunca.ncaur.usda.gov>
David Geiser (1999-2002), <dgeiser@psu.edu>
David Hibbett (2000-2004), <dhibbett@black.clarku.edu>

Liaison with Amateur Mycological Clubs & Societies

Moselio Schaechter, Chair ( 2001-2004), <mschaech@sunstroke.sdsu.edu>
Tom Volk (1998-2001), <volk.thom@uwlax.edu>
Judy Roger (1999-2002), <judyr@hevanet.com>

Mentor Travel Awards

Jimmy Clark, Chair (1998-2001), <jdclar0@pop.uky.edu>
Jose Hererra (1999-2002), <jherrera@truman.edu>
Rosalind Lowen (2000-2003), <rlowen@nybg.org>
Greg Thorn (2001-2004), <rgthorn@julian.uwo.ca>
 

Mycological Society  Distinctions

Ian Ross, Chair (1999-2001), <ross@lifesci.lscf.ucsb.edu>
Jack Rogers (1999-2002), <rogers@wsu.edu>
Brent Heath (1999-2003), <brent@yorku.ca>
Greg Mueller (2000-2004), <gmueller@fmnh.org>

Nominations

Donald Pfister, Chair (1997-2001), <dpfister@oeb.harvard.edu>
Jim Ginns (1998-2002), <ginnsj@telus.net>
Mary Palm (1999-2003), <maryp@nt.ars-grin.gov>
George Carroll (2000-2004), <gcarroll@oregon.uoregon.edu>

Phytopathology

David Rizzo, Chair (1997-2001), <dmrizzo@ucdavis.edu>
Glen Stanosz (1998-2002), <grs@plantpath.wisc.edu>
Carol Stiles (1999-2003), <cstiles@ufl.edu>
Marc Cubeta (2000-2004), < marc_cubeta@ncsu.edu>

Program

Jim Anderson, Chair (1998-2001), <janderso@erin.utoronto.ca>
Keith Egger (1999-2002), <egger@unbc.ca>
Susan Kaminskyj (1999-2003), <susan.kaminskyj@usask.ca>
Jessie Micales (2000-2004), <jmicales@facstaff.wisc.edu>

Research Awards

Arthur Welden, Co-Chair (2000-2002), <awelden@tulane.edu>
Joe Ammirati, Co-Chair (2000-2003), <cort@u.washington.edu>
Kerry O’Donnell (2000-2003), <Kodonnell@sunca.ncaur.usda.gov>
Charles Mims (2000-2004), <cwmims@arches.uga.edu>
Walt Sundberg (2001-2005), <sundberg@plant.siu.edu>

Student Awards

Lauraine Hawkins, Chair (1998-2001), <Lkh1@psu.edu>
Joey Spatafora (1999-2002), <spatafoj@bcc.orst.edu>
Wendy Untereiner (1999-2003), <untereiner@brandonu.ca>
Jamie Platt (2000-2004), <plattj@nature.berkeley.edu>
Hilisa Esteban, ex officia, (Chair, Sustaining Members Committee), <estebah@basf-corp.com>

2000-2001 MSA Ad Hoc Committees and Appointments

Ad Hoc Committees

Electronic Publications Committee

John Taylor, Chair (2000-2003), <jtaylor@socrates.berkeley.edu>
Rytas Vilgalys (2000-2004), <fungi@duke.edu>
Jim Ginns Managing Editor ex officio, <ginns@telus.net>

2000-2001 Long Range Planning

Linda Kohn, Chair, <kohn@erin.utoronto.ca>
Meredith Blackwell, <btblac@unixl.sncc.lsu.edu>
Tom Bruns, <boletus@socrates.berkeley.edu>
George Carroll, <gcarroll@oregon.uoregon.edu>
Ignacio Chapela, <ichapela@ nature.berkeley.edu>
Dave Geiser, <dgeiser@psu.edu>
Tom Harrington, <tcharrin@iastate.edu>
Michelle Momany, <momany@dogwood.botany.uga.edu>
Orson Miller, <orsonk@cs.com>,<ormiller@vt.edu>
Chris Schardl, <schardl@pop.uky.edu>
Jeff Stone, <stonej@bcc.orst.edu>
Al Torzilli, <atorzill@gmu.edu>
Rytas Vilgalys, <fungi@duke.edu>
Judi Ellzey, ex offlcio (Chair, Endowment), <jellzey@utep.edu>
Lorelei Norvell, ex officio (MSA Secretary), lorelei@teleport.com>

Affiliates and Assignments

Affiliated Societies

The Boston Mycological Club
Illinois Mycological Association

Foray Coordinator

Don Ruch (1998-2001), <druch@bsu.edu>

Local Foray Coordinator

(MSA 2001, Salt Lake City, Utah),
Ardeen Watts
660 So. University St
Salt Lake City UT 84102

International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity

Jean Lodge Chair (as Chair of the Biodiversity Committee), <djlodge@coqui.net>
Paul Cannon, <p.cannon@cabi.org>
Regis Courtecuisse, <rcourtec@phare.univ-lille2.fr>
Roy Watling, <caledonianmyc@compuserve.com>

Historian

Donald Pfister, <dpfister@oeb.harvard.edu>

Liaison on Society Incorporation

Lafayette Frederick, <lfrederick@fac.howard.edu>

Publication of Memorials

Joan Bennett, Editor-in-Chief of Mycologia, <jbennett@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Donald Pfister, Historian, <dpfister@oeb.harvard.edu>
Orson Miller, ex officio, President,, Mycological Society of America, <orsonk@cs.com><ormiller@vt.edu>

Joint Commission on Common Names

Scott Redhead, Chair (2001-2006)#, <redhead@em.agr.ca>
Lorelei Norvell (2001-2006)#, <lorelei@teleport.com>
Judy Roger (2001-2006)#, <judyr@hevanet.com>
Tom Volk (2001-2005)**, <volk.thom@uwlax.edu>
Walt Sundberg (2001-2004)**, <sundberg@plant.siu.edu>
George Riner (2001-2005)*, <griner@bellatlantic.net>
Carol Dreiling (2001—2004)*, <caroldrei@aol.com>

# = Joint MSA/NAMA appointments
** = MSA appointments
* = NAMA appointments

Past and Present Honorary Members of the Mycological Society of America

1951   Ernst A Gäumann – Switzerland, Deceased 1963 – Mycologia 57:1-5, 1965

1955  Franz Petrak – Austria, Deceased 1961

1965  GC Ainsworth – United Kingdom, Deceased 1998 – Mycologia 91(4): 714, 1999
JA von Arx – Netherlands, Deceased 1988
CT Ingold – United Kingdom
Grace M Waterhouse – United Kingdom,  Deceased 1996

1966  Lilian E Hawker – United Kingdom, Deceased 1991
JA Nannfeldt – Sweden, Deceased 1985 – Mycologia 78: 692-693, 1986

1973   MB Ellis –United Kingdom, Deceased 1996
Roger Heim – France, Deceased 1979 – Mycologia 72:1063-1064, 1980
Keisuke Tubaki – Japan

1983   RWG Dennis – United Kingdom
R Kühner – France, Deceased 1996 – Mycologia 91(4): 707, 1999
Emil Müller – Switzerland
CV Subramanian – India

1985  John Webster – United Kingdom

1987  Colin Booth – United Kingdom
Gáston Guzmán – Mexico
Meinhard Moser – Austria

1988     Leif Ryvarden – Norway

1989   Nils Fries – Sweden, Deceased 1994 – Inoculum 46(3): 3, 1995

1992  EJH Corner – United Kingdom,  Deceased 1996 – Mycologia 90(4): 732, 1998
Vera Holubová-Jechová – Czech Republic Deceased 1993 – Ceská Mykologie 47(1): 83, 1993

1993   Lennart Holm – Sweden
Erast Parmasto – Estonia
Josef Poelt – Austria, Deceased 1995 – Inoculum 46(3): 3, 1995
Jorge E Wright – Argentina

1994   David L Hawksworth – United Kingdom
Brian C Sutton – United Kingdom
Joseph Wessels – Netherlands

1995   Karl Esser – Germany

1996  Junta Sugiyama – Japan
Anthony PJ Trinci – United Kingdom

1997   Walter Gams – Netherlands

1998   Ludmila Marvanová – Czech Republic
Roy Watling – United Kingdom

2000   David J Read – United Kingdom

Nominations for Honorary Members

The Mycological Society of America recognizes distinguished senior mycologists for their significant contributions by electing them lifetime Honorary Members. (Nominations from the membership are now requested by the Committee on Honorary Members and can be sent to me or the Chair of the Committee, George Carroll.) Mycologists of all countries, except Canada and the United States, are eligible for nomination. Nominations should include a letter detailing the credentials of the nominee. A curriculum vitae and list of publications are usually included with several letters of support from colleagues.

The Society extends to Honorary Members all the privileges of an Individual Member, including subscriptions to Mycologia and Inoculum, and they do not pay dues.

Current and Past Honorary Members of the Mycological Society of America are listed on the previous page according to their year of election; obituaries, memorials, or biographical sketches are also included for some of the deceased members.

–– Jim Ginns

Martin-Baker Endowment Fund Award DEADLINE

An award to a recent (within the past five years) PhD mycologist based on proposed research and past research record.

Funds available: $2000 (not necessarily to be awarded as a lump sum)

Application deadline: 1 March, 2001

Documents required: six copies of (i) curriculum vitae, with publication list and alternative support sources and (ii) research proposal not to exceed three single-spaced pages.

Apply to: Send six copies of curriculum vitae and research proposal to Dr Arthur L Welden, 7826 Willow St, New Orleans LA 70118; Phone 504.861.7413 Email <awelden@ mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>

–– Arthur Welden, Co-Chair Research Awards Committee

MSA Council Email Express

Email Council Poll 2000-2 – On September 25, the MSA Executive Council approved making plans to meet jointly with the Mycological Society of Japan at the University of Hawaii, Hilo in 2005

Email Council Poll 2000-3 – On October 4, the MSA General Council approved granting $250 to the MSA Biodiversity Committee to sponsor its representative to attend the BMS-MSA IMC biodiversity symposium in Oslo in 2002. The Council also requested that any future requests regarding allocation of funds for symposia are to be presented for consideration by the Executive Council at its mid-year (February) meeting.

Lorelei Norvell, Secretary

Treasurer’s 1999-2000 Report

Given the uncertainties that we faced with taking over publication of Mycologia in January 1999, it is very gratifying to see that the journal and the society both continue to be very prosperous. As of July 30, 2000, the MSA had 1,266 members and assets totaling $465,703 in cash and securities. One year ago our membership was 1,244, and total assets were $450,473, so the Society has continued to grow financially and in numbers of members over the past year. Between August 1, 1999, and July 31, 2000, the society had a total income of $281,848, and expenses totaling $260,134, leaving a net income of $21,713. The greater part of this sum ($19,073), however, is composed of endowment contributions that are restricted and not available for operating budget. Our greatest expense is the publication of Mycologia and Inoculum and their associated costs (editorial assistance, indexing, postage, etc). Total publication related expenses for the past year (Aug-Jul) were $179,466. Included in last year’s publication budget totals is advance payment of $13,397 to Tulane University for one-half year’s salary for an editorial assistant for Joan Bennett (Mycologia Editor in Chief). This position will be managed through Tulane, so the employee will have university benefits. If this advance payment for a 2000-2001 fiscal year expense is subtracted from the 1999 budget, total publication related expense for 1999-2000 is $166,069, and our 1999-2000 operating balance increases accordingly. Our chief source of income ($125,910) was from institutional subscribers and income from membership dues was $81,080. A dues increase for most member categories approved last year is reflected for the first time in this report. Increasing our income from institutional subscribers should be an important goal to enable the Society to continue to grow. The MSA also had income from investments of $22,824, page charges $21,405, and from Sustaining Members $6,520. As usual, some income and expenses budgeted for 1999-2000 will be actually received or spent in the following fiscal year. Not included in this report are some of the awards, expenses, and symposium funds from the 2000 annual meeting that were paid after July 31, 2000, as well as income from the registration surcharge for symposia from the University of Vermont, and return of unspent program funds. Neither of these, however, will materially change the financial standing of the MSA as presented here.

Mycological Society of America: Income and Expenses

August 1, 1999 to July 31, 2000

Income
Dividends 9,031.16
Returned check fee 6.00
Sustaining members 6,520.00
Mailing list sales 1,000.00
Late fees 880.00
Page charges 22,452.50
Institutional subscriber 125,910.60
Back issue sales 1,298.00
Endowment
Auction, T-shirts 7,133.50
Contributions 1,915.00
Book sales 25.00
Total Endowment 9,073.50
Interest income 13,793.78
Other income 803.00
Membership dues 81,080.00
Total income 281,848.54
 

Expenses
Management fees 19,798.24
Account adjustment 1,596.53
Liability insurance 500.00
MSA website 882.00
2002 meeting deposit 1025.00
President expenses 240.00
Mid-year meeting 3,466.74
Karling lecture 2,378.77
Bank fees 165.30
IUMS travel 2,000.00
99 meeting misc 2,601.55
2000 meeting
Symposia 2,180.00
UVM 4,000.00
Program 2,000.00
Website 132.60
Total 2000 meeting 8,312.60
IBC 1999 Symposia 9,220.00
Accountant fees 969.99
Affiliated societies 6,350.00
Credit card fees 11,405.57
Secretary expense 1,500.00
Fund raising2 4,754.60
Grants and awards
Mentor travel 5,500.00
Other awards 6,500.00
Total grants and awards 12,000.00
Misc expenses 186.99
Postage 419.52
Publication
Advertising 175.00
Printing 29.43
Directory 3,294.65
Inoculum ed.off. 2,320.06
Inoculum 8,875.82
Mycologia 130,696.10
Mycologia ed.off. 1,824.89
Mycologia asst 27,750.83
Indexing 4,500.00
Total pub. expense 179,466.78
Returned checks 83.00
Travel 811.50
Total Expenses 260,134.68
1 Charges for processing credit card payments
2 Cost of items sold for fund raising: T-shirts, books, etc

Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Stone, Treasurer

Foray Lists Requested!!

SECOND and LAST CALL for Fungi collected during the 2000 MSA Foray in Vermont!! [Yes, Pat, this means YOU!]

In order to compile the list of fungi collected during the annual foray, please send me the list of fungi that you collected at Indian Brook Conservation Area, Vermont. The completed list will be printed in Inoculum and given to the property manager of IBCA. I can be reached by any of the following means: Email druch@bsu.edu; Phone 765.285.8829; FAX 765.285.8804.

Thanks for your assistance and quick response.

Don Ruch,
MSA 2000 Foray Coordinator

Biodiversity Committee

The MSA Biodiversity Committee is progressing with plans to add useful website linkages to the Biodiversity Webpage. If you know of a relevant website or an online database that you think would be useful in this context, please forward the information and website address to (djlodge@coqui.net).

We will also be adding a CREATURE FEATURE. If you have an interesting natural history story with good photos, or a truly bizarre new organism, please forward text and photo to (djlodge@coqui.net) or Dr D Jean Lodge, PO Box 1377, Luquillo PR 00773-1377.

D Jean Lodge, Chairman

THE MYCOLOGIST’S BOOKSHELF

In this issue we review Illustrated Genera of Ascomycetes, Volume II & Combined Keys to Illustrated Genera of Ascomycetes, Volumes I & II by RT Hanlin, Microbial Signalling and Communication edited by R England, G Hobbs, N Bainton and D McL. Roberts, Trichoderma and Gliocladium. Vol. 1. Basic Biology, Taxonomy and Genetics edited by C P Kubicek and GE Harman, Trichoderma and Gliocladium. Vol. 2. Enzymes, Biological Control and Commercial Applicationsedited by GE Harman and C P Kubicek, feature books received from August through October 2000, and list previously featured books received since November 1999. Reviews are needed for several excellent books. If you have the time over the next month, check the list, send me an Email at YZJOZ@TTACS.TTU.EDU and I will try to accommodate your request. A SPECIAL THANKS to those who have reviewed books for Mycologia. John Zak, BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
 
 
 

The first volume in this series entitled "Illustrated Genera of Ascomycetes" was published in 1989 and included descriptions of species in 100 genera. The three volumes were reproduced directly from computer-generated copy prepared by the author. The texts are intended for advanced students of mycology. The first two volumes are spiralbound. There are dichotomous, reversible keys to the included genera in each. The author personally examined each species. The text is beautifully illustrated with original drawings of ascomata, asci, and ascospores for a representative species of each genus. The illustrations capture the essential morphology of the taxa and are especially useful for demonstrating to students critical features of the genera and species. The format of having descriptions to the genera and the illustrations on facing pages is especially useful. The spiral binding facilitates study, because the book, when opened, remains flat. There are six light photo-micrographs in the first volume and three in the second. Each volume ends with comprehensive references.

Volume II describes and illustrates 100 additional genera of ascomycetes. The format is the same as the first volume, with perhaps more comments to the illustrated genera and to many additional ones. The first genera described include taxa without an ascoma (yeasts, Taphrina, etc.) or with rudimentary ascomata. Then genera with cleistothecia are described. Next are a few taxa with perithecia. Following are those with apothecia, including a few lichens. The rest of the taxa have varied types of ascomata. This volume expands the variety of ascomycetes covered and illustrates, in addition to the lichens mentioned above, three species of laboulbeniales, several insect inhabiting fungi, and a few tropical ascomycetes.

The keys are based on the presence or absence of ascoma, nature of the thallus, Saccardoian spore types, and type of ascoma. They are all completely artificial, with no attempt to represent phylogenetic relationships. The third volume combines the keys and subdivides them into the artificial groupings of Amerosporae, Didymosporae, Phragmosporae, and Dictyopsorae. The third volume also offers a synoptic character list. In addition, there is a section entitled Corrections and Additions to Volume I. This contains mainly updated author citations conforming to Hawksworth et al. (1995) and abbreviations to authors’ names in accordance with Kirk and Ansell (1992). There are additional anamorphs and updated references. Next come a few pages of diagrams of spores and tissues, which serve to illustrate some of the terms in the next section, a glossary. The final section contains updated references from 1988 to 1998.

A few criticisms follow. The photographs did not reproduce as well as the drawings. They are instructive, but the quality could have been better. The corrections and additions to the first volume would be easier to cross-reference if the page numbers had been given. Finally, since there was no attempt no classify the genera phylogenetically, this work could have been improved by arranging the genera alphabetically. Alphabetizing would facilitate locating a taxon without having to consult the index.

I highly recommend this series especially to students and teachers of advanced mycology. These volumes are an important addition to the library of any mycologist interested in ascomycetes. The price is reasonable, the illustrations are excellent, and the comprehensive references are invaluable. Hanlin’s work is a complement to more comprehensive identification handbooks such as Dennis (1981), Ellis & Ellis (1985), Ellis & Everhart (1892), Lundqvist (1972), Munk (1957), and Seaver (1942, 1951).
 
 
 

This book represents a compilation of microbial signalling and communication research from the 57^th symposium of the Society for General Microbiology. Of the 16 chapters, 11 are devoted to cell-to-cell communication among the prokaryotes and the remainder to communication among eukaryotes. The diversity of molecules involved in these signalling processes is apparent and the molecular bases of their action are being unraveled. Furthermore, the utilization of this knowledge to control growth and spread of many pathogens is being realized. Indeed, all the chapters dealing with bacterial pathogens – Aeromonas, Yersinia, Pseudomonas, and entropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli – address this issue. Communication between bacteria and plants from a pathogenic (Pseudomonas syringae) and symbiotic (Rhizobium spp.) perspective is also presented in the book. Signalling interactions between important fungal plant pathogens (Phytophthora spp., and Pythium spp.,) and their host plants in water films is presented from an interesting physiological perspective. The chapter on hyphal communication in sexual interaction, the formation of mycelial networks and with mycoparasites reviews a fascinating field of study. Other chapters also describe the importance of signalling and communication in conjugation (Enteroccus spp., mating type discrimination in Schizosaccharomyces pombe), development and antibiotic production (Streptomyces spp., and Erwinia spp.), environmental signal perception (Dinoflagellates) and development (Dictyostelium spp.).

Overall, this is a timely book, considering the enormous rapidity with which information on cell-to-cell microbial signalling is being generated, and serves as an important update for those interested in microbial signalling with their hosts, each other, and the environment.
 
 
 

Trichoderma and Gliocladium. Vol. 2. Enzymes, Biological Control and Commercial Applications.GE Harman and C P Kubicek (eds). 393 pp. Price: $117 US

(Both hardback volumes are published by Taylor & Francis Inc., 1900 Frost Road, Suite 101. Bristol PA 19007. The combined two-volume set can be purchased for $179 US].

The concept of synthetic reviews of the present state of knowledge of particular fungi, from both academic and applied standpoints, is laudable. Such works should provide a one-stop shop from which to move ahead to more recent literature, and also a means to track back to what has previously been reported. With 29 contributors to 11 Chapters in Vol. 1, and 37 to 17 Chapters in Vol. 2, authoring 680 pages, one might have expected this to be the ultimate synthesis on these notoriously difficult to name but so useful fungi. It achieves this goal for some aspects, but sadly not all.

Having spent 12 years as the mycologist responsible for naming cultures of both these genera received at the then Commonwealth Mycological Institute in Kew and checking the identity of strains sent for deposit or maintained in the Institute’s genetic resource collection, my eyes lit up at the word "Taxonomy" in the title of the first volume. I was not disappointed in the case of Trichoderma. Here is a scholarly and carefully executed account of the 33 named Trichoderma species now accepted, together with keys, descriptions, and illustrations prepared by Gams and Bissett. Sadly, there was no comparable treatment at all of Gliocladium. The title had promised more than was delivered. While well aware of the difficulties, and recognizing that our understanding of Gliocladium is lagging behind that of Trichoderma, I feel that at least a discussion of the problems and descriptions of selected species of both Clonostachys and Gliocladium could have been attempted. The closest we get is a figure reproduced from a 1994 molecular tree showing few taxa in the group.

In Vol. 1 I found the chapter on secondary metabolites by Sivasithamparan and Ghisalberti especially authoritative; 123 such metabolites are treated, with formulae and biosynthetic routes. I was, however, surprised not to see a stronger cautionary note over the names given to the strains producing the compounds, especially in the light of strong comments in Alan Taylor’ s 1986 overview of this subject. Also to be found in Vol. 1 are treatments of Trichoderma (but not Gliocladium) ecology, sporulation, nutrition and cellular structure, protein secretion, safety, genome and gene structure, genetic transformation, and asexual genetics. I found this last chapter, by Harman, Hayes, and Ondik, especially illuminating. This chapter includes an overview of asexual genetic variation in fungi and discusses the concept of interstrain gene transfer, where DNA fragments become inserted into a different strain. The implications of this process merits the attention of all looking at variation in mitotic fungi.

Vol. 2 is the key one for applications, but why was not a single volume at a lower cost than the two together not produced? Publication of two volumes means that those focussing on applications and so only buying Vol. 2 might miss the key systematics chapter in Vol. 1 and perpetuate confusions over the names used. In Vol. 2 cellulolytic enzymes, hemicellulose degradation, regulation of enzyme production, chitinolytic, and glucanolytic enzymes are all discussed in separate chapters. Agricultural applications covered include biocontrol, mycoparasitism, antibiosis in biocontrol, direct effects on plant growth, the industrial-scale production of propagules, use in plant disease control and growth enhancement. An especially succinct and authoritative account of Trichoderma problems in mushroom cultivation is provided by Seaby, which appreciates that different species are involved in different regions. A final group of five chapters is devoted to the use of T. reesii strains and mutants in the textile, food and feed, pulp and paper, and protein production industries. There are some fascinating aspects here that were new to me, not least their use in "stonewashing" denim, the "biofinishing" or "biopolishing" of cotton and other cellulosic textiles, in the wine industry, and olive oil production.

The taxonomic editing left some items, which jar. I was surprised to see author citations appearing outside the taxonomic chapter, especially when they were incorrect and inconsistent (e.g., Trichoderma viride given not as "Pers." or "Pers.:Fr." but as "Pers. ex Gray" on p. 140 (Vol. 1)! Little attempt seems to have been made to update other name changes; for example, Cephalosporium acremonium "lives" on p. 231 (Vol. 1), 29 years after the taxonomy of that group was revised in a masterly manner by Gams. Is it then surprising that non-systematists frequently complain of the uncertainties and confusion in fungal names? Editors have an especial role in ensuring consistency in the use of names and promulgating the conclusions of taxonomic research.

Overall, I was left impressed by the coverage of Trichoderma, but felt very much that those who are anxious to know much more about Gliocladium would be short-changed. It is interesting to speculate whether Gliocladium would have featured in the title were it not for G. virens, a fungus well-established as a true Trichoderma for some years. If you work with Trichoderma you should be sure to obtain a copy, but if your focus is Gliocladium s. str. you need to see a copy to decide if it has enough relevance to your particular interests to make it worthwhile.
 
 
 

• Hemp Diseases and Pests: Management and Biological Control. 2000. JM McPartland, RC Clarke, DP Watson. CABI Publishing: Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8DE, UK. 251 pp. Price: Hardback - $90 US. Under review.

• Molecules, Morphology and Classification: Towards Monophyletic Genera in The Ascomycetes. Studies in Mycology 45. 2000. KA Seifert, W Gams, P W Crous, GJ Samuels. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures: Baarn/Delft, The Netherlands. 230 pp. Price: 100 HLG. Review needed.

• Mycotoxin Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 157. 2000. MW Truckess, AE Pohland (eds). Humana Press Inc: 999 Riverview Drive, Suite 208, Totowa, NJ 07512 USA. 244 pp. Review needed.
 

• Advances in Verticillium: Research and Disease Management. 2000. EC Tjamos, RC Rowe, JB Heale, DR Fravel (eds.). APS Press, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097, aps@scisoc.org, 376 pp. Price: $54 US. Requested from publisher.

• Armillaria Root Rot: Biology and Control of Honey Fungus. 2000. RT Fox (ed). Intercept Limited, PO Box 716, Andover Hants, SP10 1YG, UK, intercept@andover.co.uk, or Lavoisier Publishing Inc., c/o Springer Verlag Customer Service, PO Box 2485, Secaucus, NJ 07096, orders@springer-ny.com, 240 pp. Price: 47.50 GBP and $88 US. Book requested from the publisher.

• Colored Illustrations of the Ganodermataceae and Other Fungi. 1997. W Xingliang and Z Mu (eds). 350 pp. Price: $67 US (surface). Mail order to: Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, P.R. China. Fax order: +86-10-68575909; Email order: Please send order to the following two addresses, respectively: hceis@public3.bta.net.cn or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn. Payment: check, bank transfer, or international money order 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 pp. Price: $110 US (surface), $130 US (airmail). Mail order to: Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, P.R. China. Fax order: +86-10-68575909; Email order: Please send order to the following two addresses, respectively: hceis@public3.bta.net.cn or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn. Payment: check, bank transfer, or international money order 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 55121. 214 pp. Price: $38 US. aps@sisoc.org. Book requested from publisher.

• The Deuteromycetes: Mitosporic Fungi Classification and Generic Key. 2000. E Kiffer and M Morlet. Science Publishers Inc. PO Box 699, Enfield, NH 03748. The book is a translation of: Les Deuteromycetes Classification et Cles d’Identification Generique. 1997. Text updated by the authors for the English edition in 1999. 273 pp. Price: $85 US. Review needed.

• Ectomycorrhizal Fungi: Key Genera in Profile. 1999. JWG Cairney and SM Chambers (eds.), Springer Verlag Customer Services, PO Box 2485, Secaucus, NJ 07096. 370 pp. Review in progress.

• First Contribution to a Monograph of Septoria Species in India. 1999. J Muthumary. Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennair 600 025, India, 117 pp. Price: $40 US. Reviewed in Inoculum 51(5): 41.

• Flora Agaricina Neerlandica: Volume 4. Strophariaceae, Tricholomataceae. 2000. C Bas, THW Kuyper, NE Noordeloos, and EC Vellinga (eds.). AA Balkema Uitgevers B.V., Postbus 1867, NL-3000 BR Rotterdam, Nederlands, sales@balkema.nl, 191 pp. Price: Hfl 2.2. Review in progress.

• Forest Mushrooms of China (Chinese edition with Latin names). 1997. LP Shao and CT Xiang (eds). 652 pp. Price: $127 US (surface), $145 US (airmail). Mail order to: Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, P.R. China. Fax order: +86-10-68575909; Email order: Please send order to the following two addresses, respectively: hceis@public3.bta.net.cn or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn. Payment: check, bank transfer, or international money order on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

• 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 pp. Review needed.

• The Fungal Colony. 1999. NAR Gow, GD Robson and GM Gadd (eds). Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge, UK, CB2 2RU. 332 pp. Price: Hardback - $105 US. Reviewed in Inoculum 51(5): 42.

• Gasteromycetes, I. Lycoperdales, Nidulariales, Phallales, Sclerodermatales, Tulostomatales. 1998. FD Calonge. Vol 3. Flora Mycologica Iberica, J Cramer. Distributor: E Schweizertbartüsche Verlagsbuchhandlung (Nagele u. Obermiller), Johannesstr. 3A, D-70176, Stuttgart, Germany, or Balogh Scientific Books, 1911 North Duncan Road, Champaign, IL 61821 USA. 272 pp. Price: 140 DM. Book requested from publisher.

• Genera of Bionnectriaceae, Hypocreaceae and Nectriaceae (Hypocreales, Ascomycetes) (Studies in Mycology No. 42). 1999. AY Rossman, GJ Samuels, CT Rogerson, R Lowen. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn/Delft, The Netherlands. 248 pp. Price: Hfl 95. Review in Inoculum51(3): 75.

• Icones of Medicinal Fungi from China. 1987, English Edition, Y Jianzhe (ed.), 611 pp. Price: $122 US (surface) $148 US (airmail). Mail order to: Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, P.R. China. Fax order: +86-10-68575909; Email order: Please send order to the following two addresses, respectively: hceis@public3.bta.net.cn or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn. Payment: check, bank transfer, or international money order on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

• Illustrated Dictionary of Mycology. 2000. M Ulloa and RT Hanlin, APS Press, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097, aps@scisoc.org, 448 pp. Price: $99 US. Book requested from publisher.

• Illustrated Genera of Trichomyces: Fungal Symbionts of Insects and Other Arthropods. 2000. JK Misra and RW Lichtwardt. Science Publishers, Inc., PO Box 699, Enfield, NH 03748, info@scipub.net. 155 pp. Price: $30 US. Review in progress.

• Laboulbeniales, I. Laboulbenia. 1998. S Santamaria. Vol. 4. Flora Mycologica Iberica, J Cramer. Distributor: E. Schweizertbartüsche Verlagsbuchhandlung (Nagele u. Obermiller), Johannesstr.3A, D-70176, Stuttgart, Germany, or Balogh Scientific Books, 1911 North Duncan Road, Champaign, IL 61821. 187 pp. Price: 120 DM. Book requested from publisher.

• Les Champignons Forestiers, Recolte, Commercialisation et Conservation de la Resource (Conference proceedings, articles in French and English). 2000. JA Fortin and Y Piche (eds), CRBF, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada, G1K 7P4. 119 pp. Review needed.

• Microbial Endophytes. 2000. CW Bacon, JF White, Jr (eds). Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York. 487 pp. Review needed.

• Microbial Signalling and Communication 1999. R England, G Hobbs, N Bainton, D McL Roberts (eds). Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20 St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 365 pp. Price: $115 US. Review in this issue.

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

• A Monograph of the Genus Pezicula and its Anamorphs. 1999. GJ Verkley. (Studies in Mycology 44.) Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn/Delft, The Netherlands. 180 pp. Price: Hfl.85. Reviewed Inoculum 51(5): 40.

• Myxomycetes: A Handbook of Slime Molds, paperback edition, 2000. SS Stephenson, H Stempen. Timber Press, Inc, 133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204, mail@timberpress.com, 183 pp. Price: $19.95 US. Review in progress.

• North American Boletes: A Color Guide to the Fleshy Pored Mushrooms. 2000. AE Bessette, WC Roody, AR Bessette. Syracuse University Press, 621 Skytop Road, Suite 110, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290, twalsh01@syr.edu. 356 pp. Price: $95 US. Review needed.

• Science and Cultivation of Edible Fungi. Vol. 1. 2000. LJLD Van Griensven (ed). AA Balkema, PO Box 1675, 3000 BR Rotterdam, The Netherlands, <balkema@belkema.nl>, 464 pp. Price: EUR 160. Hardback. Review needed.

• Science and Cultivation of Edible Fungi. Vol. 2. 2000. LJLD Van Griensven (ed). AA Balkema, PO Box 1675, 3000 BR Rotterdam, The Netherlands, <balkema@belkema.nl>, 497 pp. Price: EUR 160. Hardback. Review needed.

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

• Yeasts: Characteristics and Identification. 3rd edition. 2000. JA Barnett, RW Payne, D Yarrow. Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB22RU, UK. 1139 pp. Price: $320 US. Hardback. Review needed.

OF RELATED INTEREST....

• China Biodiversity: A Country Study, English Edition. 1998. Organized by State Environmental Protection Administration, 476 pp. Price: $78 US (surface), $93 US (airmail). Mail order to: Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, P.R. China. Fax order: +86-10-68575909; Email order: Please send order to the following two addresses, respectively: hceis@public3.bta.net.cn or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn. Payment: check, bank transfer, or international money order 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 pp. Price: $39 US (surface), $45 US (airmail). Order to: Huayu Center for Environmental Information Services, PO Box 4088, Beijing 100001, P.R. China. Fax Order: +86-10-68575909; Email order: Please send order to the following two addresses, respectively: hceis@public3.bta.net.cn or hceis@mx.cei.gov.cn. Payment: check, bank transfer, or international money on receipt of book. Book requested from publisher.

• The Fifth Kingdom on CD-ROM with accompanying descriptions of 1,700 Pacific Northwest Mushrooms. 1999. Bryce Kendrick. Mycologue Publications, 8727 LochSide Drive, Sidney, BC. V8L 1M8 Canada. (Mycologue@pacificcoast.net). Pricing: Personal use - $75 CAN; site license for teaching - $375 CAN; use in scientific lab - $200 CAN. Review published in Inoculum 51(5): 42.

• Microbes and Man, 4th Edition. 2000. J Postgate, Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK. 373 pp. Price: $19.95 US.

• Transport of Molecules Across Microbial Membranes. 1999. JK Broome-Smith, S Baumberg, CJ Stirling, FB Ward (eds). Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB22RU, UK. 1139 pp. Price: $320 US. Hardback.

2000 (November 30-December 1). 7th International Symposium of the Mycological Society of Japan (MSJ-IS7) – Fungus-Plant Interactions: From Parasitism to Symbiosis  DETAILS Inoculum 51(4)

2001 (March 31- April 01). Mid-Atlantic States Mycology Conference (MASMC)

2001 (April 22-27). BMS International Symposium "BioactiveFungal Metabolites: Impact and Exploitation"
DETAILS Inoculum 51(3,6). See 2-page registration form this issue.

2001 (July 3-6). 2^nd International Workshop on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushrooms.  First announcement

2001 (July 7-12). 8th International Marine & Freshwater Mycology Symposium First announcement
 

2001 (July 8-13). 3rd International Congress on Mycorrhizae (ICOM 3)   First announcement

2002 (February 20-23). IV Conference of the World Society for Mushroom Biology and Mushroom Products  First announcement
 

2002 (11-17 August). 7th International Mycological Congress (IMC VII)

Lab Tech – Minimum qualifications include a bachelor's level degree in biology, microbiology or chemistry; previous work experience with molecular biology (DNA extraction, PCR, cloning, automated sequencing), and lab management; familiarity with diverse computer systems desirable.

Postdoctoral research associate – PhD with research experience including previous publications in microbial ecology, bioinformatics, and molecular phylogenetics. Please include a cover letter with description of research interests.

Both positions offer competitive salaries plus benefits and are available immediately. Send resume with names/addresses/phone of three references to Dr Rytas Vilgalys, Dept of Biology, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708; FAX 919-660-7361; Email (fungi@duke.edu). Further information may be obtained at our website (http://www.botany.duke.edu/fungi/mycolab/DFMO.html).

Environmental Microbiology Laboratory has another opening for a full-time Mycologist/Analyst in the laboratory located in the San Francisco, CA, area. The primary responsibility of the position is to analyze air, surface, tape, and bulk samples by microscopy for fungi. Some bacterial analysis is also required. Air sample analysis includes analysis of both culturable (Andersen) and non-culturable samples (Burkard, Allergenco, and Zefon Air-O-Cell). Ongoing training and education are part of the position. Good bright-field microscopy, communication, and teamwork skills and attention to details are important. A Master of Science in Microbiology is preferred, and experience recognizing environmental microfungi is very desirable. Environmental Microbiology Laboratory is a recognized leader in bioaerosol and microbial analysis and specializes in the analysis of surface and air samples for fungi. It is a rapidly growing company that provides competitive wages, rewards employees with merit and profit-sharing bonuses, has a 401k plan, provides health benefits, has generous holiday/sick/vacation time, and is close to public transportation. For more information about the company, see (http://www.emlab.com). Please send your resumé 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 650.991.2243; Email (dgallup@emlab.com). Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

Faculty position – Fungal Cell and Molecular Biology, University of California-Riverside (slightly modified as advertised in Oct. 22 Science)

Job Description: The Department of Plant Pathology invites applications for an 11-month tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level. For those not familiar with the American system, "11 month" means that the position is funded year-round; i.e., 12 months’ salary including 1 month vacation, as opposed to many positions that are academic year appointments (9 month). "Tenure-track" means that after satisfactory performance at the Assistant Professor level, faculty are normally promoted to the tenured Associate Professor level. The position will be available on July 1, 2000, and carries a 75% research appointment in the Agricultural Experiment Station and a 25% teaching appointment in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. The Department currently has 17 ladder-rank faculty, three cooperative extension specialists, plus other positions under recruitment. Opportunities for collaborations are available with seven existing programs in the department that focus on basic and/or applied research on filamentous fungi, as well as other laboratories on campus.

Research: Candidates should develop an innovative research program that addresses fundamental issues in the growth, development, physiology, or pathology of filamentous fungi. Applications will be accepted from researchers studying either model saprophytes or plant pathogens. It is hoped that cellular or molecular approaches will be the primary direction of research.

Teaching: The position will contribute to graduate and undergraduate courses in microbial or general biology, mycology, pathology, or related fields.

Applications: Evaluation of applications will begin Dec. 1, 2000, but the position will remain open until filled. A PhD and record of research productivity is required. Candidates should send a curriculum vitae, statement of research and teaching interests, a complete list of publications and selected reprints, and three letters of reference to: Professor Howard Judelson, Search Committee Chair, Department of Plant Pathology, Riverside, CA 92521 USA; Telephone 909.787.4199; FAX 909.787.4294; Email (howard.judelson@ucr.edu). The University of California is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer.
 

PhD students interested in working with an enthusiastic and creative group of researchers who are attempting to understand the mechanisms that contribute to taxonomic and functional diversity of soil and litter fungi in desert ecosystems should contact Dr John Zak, Texas Tech University, Email (YZJOZ@TTACS.TTU.EDU). This research effort, centered in Big Bend National Park, is part of a larger effort to understand the effects of climate change on ecosystem processes in the National Park System. Students will collaborate with research teams working on the Noland Divide Watershed Program in Great Smoky Mountains NP and the West Twin Creeks Watershed in Olympic NP. Teaching assistantships and research assistantships are available depending upon qualifications.

PhD students needed to participate in a multidisciplinary research effort to understand how data collected at various ecological scales can be integrated to provide unique insights into the long-term effects of ecosystem disturbance. The project, centered at Fort Benning, GA, is currently funded for five years. Students will be involved in assessing functional diversity of soil microbes, decomposition, soil nutrient dynamics, and taxonomic response of soil fungal to the degree and length of disturbance. Interested students should contact Dr John Zak, Texas Tech University, Email (YZJOZ@TTACS.TTU.EDU). Teaching assistantships and research assistantships are available depending upon qualifications.
 

Mold testing and identification services. Identification and contamination control for indoor air quality including home and building mold test kits, food technology, spawn technology, plant diseases. ASTM & Mil-Spec testing for aerospace, controlled environments and environmental engineering. 10% discount for regular and sustaining MSA members. Email (microbe@pioneer.net); Voice mail 541.929.5984; Surface mail Abbey Lane Laboratory, PO Box 1665, Philomath, OR 97370 USA. For more information, see www.pioneer.net/~microbe/abbeylab.html.
 

Larry D Robertson, president of Mycotech Biological, Inc. (an environmental laboratory that specializes in identification of indoor fungal contaminants), would like to pose the following question to interested Inoculum readers regarding potential identification of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and/or other environmental spores. "Specifically, we routinely receive sticky tape samples that reveal the presence of individual hyaline spherical spores having a 1-3 micron size diameter. No catenulation of spores, condiophores, and/or other morphologically distinct spore arrangement is present. We typically report these as Aspergillus/Penicillium-like spores. I have recently had a client suggest that there are methods available to distinguish these types of spores specifically to genus level and that we should be capable of distinguishing Aspergillus, Penicillium, and/or the numerous other organisms that produce these morphologically similar spores. I would be interested in receiving comments concerning whether such a methodology exists. Please respond to Larry Robertson, (Larry R@risecom.net)."

Dear fellow mycologists:

While conducting a search for obscure fungal generic names on the WWW, I ran across a hacker's site that is obviously an index to highly technical fungal terminology and generic and specific names. The file was called "". Those of you who are really into the computer world may well know about such things, but I suspect many of you are unaware. If you have attached a password based upon your favorite fungus or fungal term –– no matter how obscure –– well, watch out. The hackers are well ahead of you.

Here is a sample of what they indexed to use for probing your files: ...decidua deciduum deciduus decipiens decora decoraensis decorata......endogenospora endogone endomelanconium endomyces endomycopsella... I suggest that you deliberately misspell your generic passwords. I wouldn't leave them be. It’s a brave, scary new world! [Scott Redhead]
 

In 2001 there will be a new website for those interested in mushrooms around the world. The mockup page, which is quite lovely, previews numerous features to interest those particularly interested in edible and medicinal mushrooms. Text will be offered in Korean or English. [Alice Chen]

The Bibliography of Systematic Mycology can now be found on the CABI Bioscience website above. The new page enables you to search on genus name and author to find out what has been covered in the systematic mycology literature from 1985 to date. (There are about 40,000 citations). [Paul Kirk]

While ‘listening’ in on the endless debate on the Phylocode, one of the correspsondents mentioned finding information on "Google". I checked it out and have been amazed at its user-friendliness, versatility, and lack of advertisements. Its speed is generally blinding -- delivering hundreds of savvy websites in "0.04" seconds. Particularly useful for me is checking scientific names. Type in "Phaeocollybia gregaria" and watch the websites materialize. I have abandoned Altavista now almost entirely. Give it a try! [Lorelei Norvell]

Below is an alphabetical list of websites featured in Inoculum during the past twelve months. Those wishing to add sites to this directory or to edit addresses should Email lorelei@teleport.com. Unless otherwise notified, listings will be automatically deleted after one year.

* = New or Updated info (most recent Inoculum Volume-Number citation)

7th International Symposium on Microbiology (50-6)

Ascomycota – new Classification (51-5)

*Bibliography of Systematic Mycology (51-6)

CABI Nomenclature Database (51-2)

Carver Fungal Collections (51-2)

Cortbase (51-3)

Discover Life in America (Smokies ATBI) (50-5)

Exsiccati at the NYBG (50-6)

Friends of the Farlow (51-4)

Fungi of the Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve (50-6)

Genealogy of North American Mycologists (51-1)

*Google -- Niftiest General Search Engine (51-6)

ICOM3 (51-2)

IMC7 (51-3)

Back issues of Inoculum

Michigan Fungus Collections (51-2)

MSA Bulletin Board (51-5)

MycoInfo, "the world’s first mycological E-journal" (51-1)

Mycosearch web directory/search engine (51-5)

Mycotaxon (51-4)

*Mushroom World [new Korean/English site in 2001] (51-6)

NAMA Poison Case Registry (51-4)

Nomenclature: IAPT Committee for Fungi (51-1)

Northwest Lichenologists (NWL) (51-4)

NYBG Fungus Herbarium (51-2)

RIAM — Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia (Subscription) (51-2)

Sciencejobs.com (51-4)

University of Tennessee Mycology Group (50-5)

University of Alberta Microfungus Collection and Herbarium (50-6)

WEB MSA