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About the Collection
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The mycological collections of the Illinois Natural History Survey and the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign originated with the rust collection of A.B. Seymour (1881-1886) and
the powdery mildew collection of T.J. Burrill (1882-1885). These collections were integrated and housed in the
Natural History Building on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign until 1921, when the plant
disease specimens were segregated and became the basis for the plant disease collection of the Illinois Natural
History Survey. The program for collecting, identifying, and preserving plant disease specimens originated in 1881
and was expanded between 1921 and 1924 when special emphasis was placed on obtaining information on plant disease in
the state. By 1924, 18,000 plant disease specimens had been added to the collection.
Gilbert L. Stout (1926-1930) was the first plant pathologist to concentrate on surveying plant disease in Illinois; he was
succeeded by Gideon H. Boewe (1930-1966). Boewe's interest was the incidence, distribution, and severity of plant diseases.
His specimens, together with those of Leo R. Tehon (1921-1954), who specialized in Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti that cause plant
disease, form a substantial part of the Survey's mycological collection.
James C. Carter (1934-1974) was an authority on the diseases of shade trees and ornamentals. His special interest was pathogenic
fungi of woody ornamentals and he contributed numerous specimens to the mycological collection. J. Leland Crane (1967-2001) succeeded
Boewe, and to date he has contributed over 4,000 specimens of Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti from decaying substrates in aquatic
systems. In 2004, Andrew N. Miller succeeded Crane as mycologist and is currently adding specimens of Basidiomycetes and terrestrial
Ascomycetes to the Illinois Natural History Survey mycological collections.
* Primarily excerpted from Crane, J.L. and P.P Tazik. 1992. Catalog of types of the Illinois Natural History Survey mycological
collections (ILLS). Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 34(6): 535–550.
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