WWW VL Mycology: Taxonomy, Biology, General Resources
These pages are no longer maintained, and were last updated in 2005. More info on the home page.
Cooke's 1898 book, "A Plain and Easy Account of British Fungi (6th edition)" is an early introductory text. Mike Walton has posted it on the web.
A basic introduction to mycorrhizae, with tips on how to select and use inoculum in your garden or landscape. A Japanese version is also available.
Badham's 1847 book, "A Treatise on the Esculent Funguses of England" is an early account of edible fungi. Many of the scientific names have changed now, but the text and its accompanying plates are an interesting diversion. Mike Walton has posted it on the web.
Both native and introduced mushrooms are found on the Hawaiian Islands, the latter being especially plentiful. This site includes photographs and catalogs of Hawaiian agarics.
This online guide to airborne fungal spores covers identification, counting techniques, and a discussion of spores as allergens.
A site developed by Amanita-guru Rod Tulloss, Amanitabear provides an online similarity calculator (for morphological studies), as well as information on Rod's consulting and lecturing services.
The web site of the American Phytopathological Society (APSnet) includes many resources of interest to plant pathologists, including abstracts of articles in APS journals, lists of APS publications, and an index of common names of plant diseases.
Anateleo is a database of anamorph-teleomorph connections. Anamorphs are the asexual reproductive states of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes; a special article of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature allows us to give them their own names. This database includes only ascomycetes, so far, and is searchable either by anamorph or holomorph (=teleomorph) names. Opportunity is provided for new submissions (with documentation) and corrections. Now hosted by CBS.
The Master's thesis of M. Haanpää includes some useful pictures of Antrodia and Amyloporia. The text is available online in Finnish (University of Helsinki).
The web pages of the USDA-ARS Plant Disease Biocontrol Laboratory (Beltsville, MD, USA) provide answers to frequently asked questions on plant disease biocontrol, links to related sites, and information about staff and their programs.
Information on diseases of cereals, especially rusts, as well as information on research and extension are provided for this USDA lab in Minnesota, USA. The site provides high-quality information on rust life cycles, rust resistance, the Puccinia pathway, and alternate hosts. The lab also provides access to its extensive literature databases on cereal rusts, karnal bunt, and Fusarium Head Blight (scab).
The Aspergillus website provides information about Aspergillus species implicated in human disease (aspergillosis). It includes a bibliographic database and discussion groups for laboratory and clinical workers.
This web site summarizes internet resources on biological control of pests.
A good introduction to mycorrhizae, their functions and evolution.
The Global Network for Taxonomy promotes taxonomic training of scientists in developing countries to decrease reliance on foreign expertise and promote knowledge of local biodiversity.
A searchable database of over 2,700 species of fungi recorded in Brazil by A.C. Batista and his co-workers between 1950 and the late 1970s.
The British Lichen Society provides information on membership, as well as on lichens in churchyards and on manmade surfaces, a list of lichens of the British Isles, and a key to Parmelia species.
The BMS's web pages include meeting and foray information, and information on their fine journals: Mycological Research, The Mycologist, and Field Mycology.
The BSPP Web page includes information on the Society, the BSPP Newsletter, and a host of other resources.
The fabulously massive databases of CABI Bioscience (UK) include the classification from the Dictionary of the Fungi, Index Fungorum (fungal names and authors), authors of fungal names, families, Species2000 information, and the Bibliography of Systematic Mycology. Great!
Lichenized members of the Caliciales are treated on this site, which provides keys, illustrations, and taxonomic and ecological information, with a focus on Scandinavian representation.
The California Lichen Society webpage includes membership information, its Bulletin and other publications, links of interest to lichenologists, and announcements for Society members.
The web pages of the Canadian Phytopathological Society include information on membership, meetings, back issues of the newsletter, and information on publications.
A discussion of yeast infections caused by Candida spp., with special reference to its occurrence and treatment in HIV patients.
The CDC site includes imformation on fungal diseases of humans in USA. Their searchable newsletter, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, is an excellent source for mushroom poisonings, fungal disease incidences, and other health problems associated with fungi.
This site includes information on the flora and fauna of central Texas, USA. Jerry Evans has developed a nice guide to noncrustose lichens growing on trees at the Miller Springs Nature Center, and is developing a treatment of the mushrooms, too.
Diseases of cereals (wheat, rye, and other grains) are the focus of these pages from the Carlsberg Laboratory (Denmark).
This site provides lichen checklists for many countries, worldwide. It is conveniently browsable via clickable maps.
This online guide to tree diseases includes a glossary, a host-fungus index, and numerous color photographs of diseases occurring in British Columbia, Canada.
Fred M. Rhoades maintains this collection of 3-dimensional images of fungi, myxomycetes, bryophytes, and lichens from Washington, USA.
Biographical information on over 2500 important mycologists is provided in this valuable resource. For each entry readers find a brief biography or a reference to one, plus the accepted abbreviation of the name for nomenclatural purposes, a link to taxa described by that person, and a (partial) list of publications. An associated bibliography focuses in particular on eastern European literature. Maintained by David Minter, the talented, of CABI.
Dr. Sylvia (Penn State University, USA) provides an extensive literature database on mycorrhizal fungi, a glossary of soil microbiology terms, and a method to generate arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum.
DELTA (DEscription Language for TAxonomy) is a powerful software package for Windows computers that facilitates character analysis in taxonomic and phyogenetic studies. Through add-on Intkey software, users can create identification keys from on DELTA datasets.
An atlas of fungi that infect human skin, including graphic photographs.
A web page on fungal infections of the skin is available through the Singapore National Skin Care Centre.
A series of Internet pages dedicated to the systematics, ecology and evolution of dimorphic basidiomycetes (those that produce both a yeast and a mycelial stage).
Dr. Fungus provides a thorough introduction to fungi that impact human health. There is plentiful information on fungal pathogens of humans, diagnosis of the diseases they cause, and discussions of treatments and patient resources (this site was formerly called FungusWeb).
Fungi of the Duke Forest (NC, USA) are being studied in situ for the first time using molecular methods. Visitors can view images and search for collections.
A group devoted to studying medically important fungi, in particular Cryptococcus neoformans, cause of cryptococcosis in humans.
Ola Kårén's homepage includes his doctoral dissertation on air pollution and fungi, as well as protocols for molecular identification of mycorrhizae.
Sabine Huhndorf and her group at the Chicago Field Museum (USA) provide this user-friendly guide to digital imaging of fungi using a microscope, video camera, and computer.
A clearinghouse for information on indoor air quality and sick building sydrome, including the effects and control of indoor molds.
These pages constitute an excellent on-line textbook of forest and shade tree pathology (including a good introduction to fungi) by Jim Worrall, a pathologist with the US Forest Service.
An online course in Forest Pathology and Control at Sir Sanford Fleming College, Canada.
These pages describe Fred Spiegel's research on protostelids and slime molds. They includes a key to protostelid genera.
The freshwater ascomycete database is a nomenclatural and bibliographical compilation of water-dwelling unitunicate and bitunicate taxa, their substrates and distributions, and their anamorphic states. Mangrove fungi are now included. Maintained by Carol Shearer.
This publication of Health Canada explores the recognition and management of fungi detected in public buildings, and their effects on human health (link will download a pdf file).
A forum for deep fungal infections, intended for health care professionals.
A tutorial that deals with fungal infections of humans, their therapy, and the organisms responsible. It is provided by the Microbiology component of the University of Leeds Laboratory and Scientific Medicine Course.
FungalWeb provides a searchable classification system for fungi. It incorporates links to other databases including anamorph-teleomorph relationships, DNA and protein sequences, and fungal nomenclature.
A metadirectory of the many images of fungi to be found on the internet.
A glossary and index of fungi important in indoor air quality from the University of Minnesota, with advice on remediation.
Species Fungorum: A massive, searchable index of names of fungi, provided by CABI Bioscience (q.v.). These pages also include the classification from the Dictionary of the Fungi, Species2000, and the CABI culture collection (IMI). See also Index Fungorum, at the same site, for all fungus names ever published.
Bob Gilbertson and Meredith Blackwell have prepared this interesting genealogy of mycologists in North America. Who are your mycological ancestors?
This website includes some lovely images of fungi, including Entomophthora, Spinellus, and some nematode parasites. It also includes information on Barron's book "Mushrooms of Northeast North America" (in Canada entitled "Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada").
This useful Glossary of technical terms in Plant Pathology was created by Phil Arneson of Cornell University. It includes definitions, illustrations, and sound files by Richard Korf to aid pronunciation.
A set of British studies on heavy metal concentrations in wild mushrooms. You are what you eat.
A site dedicated to providing information on the fungal disease histoplasmosis in Mexico. In Spanish and English.
A nice Colombian image gallery of fungi, produced by Fondo FEN Colombia (in Spanish). It includes some local images, and some links to other image sites.
This important site compiles all known fungus names and their bibliographic citations. It is based largely upon the Index of Fungi, and has been improved by many contributors.
The online version of the Index Herbariorum can be searched and updated online courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden.
The WWW version of the ING is a massive searchable index of generic names of organisms covered by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (including, of course, Fungi). A bibliographic citation, and information on typification, status, and classification are provided for each generic name.
This searchable Index to American Botanical Literature is provided by the New York Botanic Garden, and includes much useful bibliographic information about fungi.
Infoforum Schimmelpilz is a German site on molds, with a special focus on those that occur inside, where they're not wanted.
Working papers on mycotoxins derived from a conference sponsored by FAO/WHO/UNEP and held in Tunis, Tunisia, March 1999.
On the web pages of the International Mycological Association can be found information about congresses and other meetings, as well as publications and biodiversity initiative information.
This site provides a searchable index of names of seed plants, and also of the authors of plant and fungus names. This project doesn't aim to include fungal names; for mycologists it is most useful for looking up author names and abbreviations.
A compilation of information on the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s, during which time over 3 million Irish died, and many others (including some of my own ancestors) emigrated to other parts of the world. The Famine resulted from an outbreak of late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans.
The British Lichen Society makes available this dichotomous key to the lichen genus Parmelia.
A compilation of scanned page images of historical and hard-to-find mycological literature. Contributions are invited, but there are already many useful things on this site, including the rare first few volumes of Mycotaxon. Compiled by Paul Kirk at CABI.
Lichens of the Netherlands are highlighted on this page, which includes a Red List, a checklist of lichens and lichenicolous fungi, and information on interesting projects and publications.
Focused on Spanish fungi, this site includes Spain's red list, cartoons, and information on fungi and mycology in Spain (in Spanish).
Thomas Brittain's 1882 book, "Micro-Fungi" is a popular account of small fungi, plant pathogens, and molds found in the U.K. Mike Walton has kindly augmented it and posted it on the web.
A website with information on microbes and their impacts on humans, including environmental, medical, industrial, and veterinary microbiology aspects.
This discussion of mushroom toxins and the symptoms they produce forms a chapter of the "Bad Bug Book" by the US Food and Drug Administration. Other mycotoxins (aflatoxin and ilk) are discussed in a subsequent chapter.
The Mycotheology Home Page provides an interesting discussion of the role of fungi in magic, folklore, and religion.
This interesting e-journal devoted to fungi provides synopses of fungus-related news, articles, as well as interesting editorials and book reviews. Although it enjoyed a brief haitus, it's back as of 2005, complete with new articles and a blog.
MycoKey is a very nice, illustrated, synoptic key to the genera of mushrooms and allies in Northern Europe. This site also includes interesting information on the history of mycology and brief biographies of some important mycologists of years gone by.
The web page of the Mycological Society of America includes information on activities and officers of the society, searchable abstracts of annual meetings, and membership information. Links are provided to the official MSA journal, Mycologia; the MSA newsletter, Inoculum; a directory of MSA members; and the MSA Bulletin board, MSAPOST.
The first scientific account of a fungal species was published in 1564 by Hadrianus Junius (a.k.a. Aadrian DeJonghe). This site provides illustrated Dutch and English translations of his Latin writings on the fabulous stinkhorn, Phallus hadriani.
Mycology Online is a guide to fungal pathogens of humans, the diseases they cause, and selected case studies. This Australian site is searchable, nicely illustrated (not for the squeamish!), and replete with information.
An introduction to mycorrhizae, their function and benefits, provided by the Tree of Life Nursery (USA).
The Mycorrhiza Information Exchange covers everything you need: literature databases, job ads, teaching tips, images, inoculum sources, links, etc. Participation is invited.
This guide to mycorrhizal associations (adapted and excerpted from a larger book) is provided by Mark Brundett at CSIRO (Australia). It details the structure and development of mycorrhizae, with handsome images and good textual explanation. It makes a wonderful teaching tool.
This site from the Biocenter at the University of Helsinki (Finland) includes scientific publications documenting the diversity, interactions and functions of forest tree mycorrhizae.
A unit of the US Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service that focuses on mycotoxin research. 3-dimensional molecular structures of a few mycotoxins produced by molds are available here.
An impressive site dedicated to amateur mycology, MykoWeb includes recipes, a listing of mushroom events, a useful bibliography of works on secotioid and hypogeous fungi. Identification resources include guides to the Fungi of California (USA), the Fungi of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and an online version of H.D. Thiers' 1975 monograph, California Mushrooms: A Field Guide to the Boletes. For a treat, see the scans of the color plates from M.C. Cooke's 1894 book, Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms.
This web site devoted to myxomycetes provides information on the plasmodial slime molds, including some impressively gooey images.
NCBI provides GenBank, an invaluable database of DNA sequences from all organisms. Use the Taxonomy browser, or perform a BLAST search to find sequences of interest.
Philip Jacobs' studies on nematophagous fungi for biological control can be accessed from this page (in German).
An introduction to fungi that parasitize nematodes, including desriptions of their trapping organs and a large bibliography. Also online in German.
A nonprofit group that facilitates communication and training among lichenologists interested in the lichens of the Pacific Northwest of North America. A newsletter and information on meetings. The group offers a certification program in lichenology of the Northwest.
A database of over 26,000 lichens found in National Parks in the US.
Educational website dealing with American pecan truffles (Tuber lyonii), which are similar to the tasty black Perigord truffles of Europe.
The Pediatric Dermatology Image Atlas includes impressive illustrations of fungal diseases of the skin. From the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (USA).
PEST CABWeb deals with entomology, nematology, weed science, biological control, plant pathology and many other aspects of pest management. Subscribers can access CABI's journals online, and others may view abstracts and information on CABI's services, as well as recent numbers of "Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria."
This site at the Universidad de Chile is devoted to the basidiomycetous yeast Pfaffia rhodozyma.
PhysarumPlus is a resource for researchers studying Physarum and allied slime molds. It includes life cycle information, a question and answer forum, images, protocols for culturing and molecular biology, and even an ode to Physarum.
CABI Bioscience provides this online identifier of Phytophthora species. It is based on DNA data: you PCR-amplify the ITS region of the genome, cut it with restriction enzymes, then input your results for comparison to a database of known strains.
This book by Crous, Phillips and Baxter is a host-fungus index to fungal plant pathogens in South Africa (Department of Plant Pathology Press, University of Stellenbosch, 2000). An updated and searchable web version of the book is provided at this web site.
Phytophthora palmivora and kin cause a serious diseases of durian, the fruit that "smells like hell and tastes like heaven." Professor David Guest of the University of Melbourne, Australia provides these web pages on the problem.
The Plant Pathology Internet Guidebook is a comprehensive source for Plant Pathology resources online. It is available through the Institute of Plant Diseases and Plant Protection in Hannover, Germany.
Computer simulations for teaching aspects of plant pathology and epidemiology.
The PLANTS database from the National Plant Data Center is now accessible on the WWW. It includes the names and distributions of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens reported from continental North America excluding Mexico.
These are pages devoted to the Plasmodiophorales that include information about life histories, cytology, and biology of this interesting group of fungus-like protists. The site is no longer being updated.
Pythiosis is a disease of humans and animals that can be caused by the subject of this web page, Pythium insidiosum. The site includes graphic images and information on biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment.
The writings, photographs, and artifacts of R. Gordon Wasson are held by Harvard University. Wasson and his wife, Valentina Pavlovna Guercken, spent years studying the roles of fungi in spirituality and folklore around the world, coining the terms "mycophile" and "mycophobe," and participating in rituals in which fungi served as entheogens. The site includes biographies, bibliographies, and access information.
An index of mushrooms in art (mostly Western paintings), including some fun and interesting browsing in art history. Worth a visit.
This index to specimens included in the exsiccatae Reliquiae Petrakianae was compiled by Christian Scheuer.
Dr. Summerbell's pages include his publications on the detection and control of indoor molds that potentially cause indoor air problems and perhaps sick building syndrome. Publications dealing with identification of poisonous mushrooms are also included.
Information on Russian lichens, including keys, images, and a bibliography. Mostly in Russian.
Spongospora subterranea is a plasmodiophorid pathogen of potatoes (and other plants) and an emerging pathogen in some regions. This workshop site introduces the biology and control of S. subterranea and related species, and includes images and a discussion board.
Information on a fungal disease caused by Sporothrix schenckii, provided by the New York State Dept. of Health.
Information on stains used in histological studies. Includes a database of dyes, and information on the principles of staining.
Sabine Huhndorf's website is entitled Studies in the Lasiosphaeriaceae: Monographs of two key genera and a family-level phylogeny. The site provides keys to genera as well as introductory and phylogenetic information on this family of perithecial ascomycetes in the order Sordariales.
A dynamic electronic mailing list for discussions on biosystematics, biogeography and collection curation. To subscribe, send a message to LISTSERV@listserv@usobi.org (leave subject line blank and omit signature): "signup taxacom your name" (e.g. signup taxacom Kathie Hodge)
TAXACOM archives are available for browsing and searching
The Texas Plant Disease Handbook is a pretty comprehensive guide to plant diseases and the organisms that cause them.
A taxonomic treatment of the Echinosteliales (a group of slime molds) prepared by Francisco Pando. An INTKEY identification resource for use with DELTA software (q.v.) is provided.
A site that is a collection of links of interest to mycologists.
A web site devoted to psychedelic mushrooms including Psilocybe and kin, and to the history and people involved in the modern rediscovery of entheogenic mushroom drugs.
The Rhynie Chert is a fossilized Devonian lake shore in Scotland that includes some of the oldest fossils of plants and their associated fungi. This nice site introduces the botanical and mycological finds of the Rhynie Chert, and provides photos of the oldest known lichen and early arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
This phylogenetic navigator provides a tree that shows the evolutionary relationships of living organisms, including fungi. It also supplies descriptive pages on selected terminal taxa. Like biological systematics itself, it's a work in progress.
These pages by R.W. Lichtwardt and L.C. Ferrington document on ongoing project on the taxonomy and co-evolution of Trichomycetes (fungi that inhabit insect guts) and their blackfly hosts. Keys to trichomycete orders and genera, an extensive literature database, and an overview of trichomycete systematics.
The Taxonomy Resource and Index To Organism Names is a developing database of nomenclatural information that covers all kingdoms of organisms.
An organization promoting research on truffles. The site includes images, molecular methodologies, a directory and bulletin board, and Tuberkey, a Delta-based key to Tuber species. Neat!
This incredibly valuable USDA-ARS site is the superstar of all mycological internet resources. It provides searchable data from "Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the US;" and "Literature Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Fungi;" mycological literature reference databases; a listing of specimens in the National Fungus Collections (BPI); an index to Saccardo's "Sylloge Fungorum;" and and index to the "Index of Fungi." Alternate access is through telnet to fungi.ars-grin.gov (login USER; password: USER).
The Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley provides a well-prepared introduction to the kingdom Fungi, and also to two groups that have historically been studied by mycologists, the Oomycota and slime molds. Similar introductions are available for all other taxa. This link makes a valuable addition to any teaching program.
The many formae specialis of the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum and corresponding vc groups are summarized at the USDA's Cereal Disease Laboratory (USA).
An illustrated history of news coverage of the Irish Potato Famine that occurred in the 1840s due to Phytophthora infestans, causal agent of late blight of potato.
White rot fungi are those that grow on wood and digest lignins, making the wood white and soft. The biochemistry of white rot fungi and their application in bioremediation are featured on these web pages.
Photos of Hawaiian lichens by Clifford Smith, plus links to other lichenological resources.
You're there now! This is a distributed library of resources maintained at many different sites all over the world. Unlike some of the big search engines, VL site maintainers personally select and evaluate the links they recommend, with the result that VL sites generally have a high signal to noise ratio. The WWW VL is a good place to start when looking for electronic information on all kinds of different topics.
Excellent monographic treatments of various genera of the family Xylariaceae (Ascomycota) by J.D. Rogers, Y.-M. Ju, and M.J. Adams. Keys are available for the genera Biscogniauxia, Creosphaeria, Daldinia, Discoxylaria, Entoleuca, Hypoxylon, Jumillera, Kretzschmaria, Kretzschmariella, Stilbohypoxylon, Vivantia, and Whalleya, and each species is illustrated and thoroughly described. An index to more than 1200 species epithets is provided for the treated genera. A key to genera of the Xylariaceae has recently been completed. Wow.
Zoosporic Fungi Online provides up-to-date information on fungi (chytrids) and things we used to think were fungi (stramenopiles). There are reviews of publications, tips on cultural methods, phylogenetic trees, and images.
