Adolf Hugo Magnusson (1 March 188514 July 1964) was a Swedish naturalist who specialized in

lichenology Lichenology is the branch of mycology that studies the lichens, symbiotic organisms made up of an intimate symbiotic association of a microscopic alga (or a cyanobacterium) with a filamentous fungus. Study of lichens draws knowledge from several ...

. He was a school teacher in

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

from 1909 to 1948, but spent his spare time on the study of

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

, specializing in the genera ''

Lecidea ''Lecidea'' is a genus of crustose lichens with a carbon black ring or outer margin (exciple) around the fruiting body disc (apothecium), usually (or always) found growing on (saxicolous) or in (endolithic) rock.Field Guide to California Lichens, ...

'', ''

Lecanora ''Lecanora'' is a genus of lichen commonly called rim lichens.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, Lichens in the genus ''Squamarina'' are also called rim lichens. Members of the genus have roughly ci ...

'', ''

Caloplaca ''Caloplaca'' is a lichen genus comprising a number of distinct species. Members of the genus are commonly called firedot lichen, jewel lichen.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, gold lichens, "ora ...

'', and '' Acarospora''.

Life and career

Magnusson began studying botany at

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...

in 1904, but was forced to cancel his studies for financial reasons after only a year and instead became educated as a primary school teacher. In 1909 he was enrolled at the

University of Gothenburg The University of Gothenburg ( sv, Göteborgs universitet) is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg. Founded in 1891, the university is the third-oldest of the current Swedish universities and with 37,000 students and 6000 st ...

, where he graduated with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in philosophy in 1913 and a philosophy degree in 1914. He worked as a schoolteacher until his retirement. Magnusson became an internationally renowned lichenologist who described about 900 species in about 150 scientific publications. He studied all kinds of lichens, but was particularly interested in

crustose lichen Crustose lichens are lichens that form a crust which strongly adheres to the Substrate (biology), substrate (soil, rock, tree bark, etc.), making separation from the substrate impossible without destruction. The basic structure of crustose lichen ...

s such as '' Acarospora'', ''

'', ''

'', and ''

Rinodina ''Rinodina'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Physciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 265 species. It is hypothesized that a few saxicolous lichen, saxicolous species common to dry regions of wester ...

''. Magnusson identified more than 900 lichen specimens collected by Finnish amateur botanist during the

Yenisey The Yenisey (russian: Енисе́й, ''Yeniséy''; mn, Горлог мөрөн, ''Gorlog mörön''; Buryat: Горлог мүрэн, ''Gorlog müren''; Tuvan: Улуг-Хем, ''Uluğ-Hem''; Khakas: Ким суғ, ''Kim suğ''; Ket: Ӄук ...

river expedition in 1876. Among Magnusson's publications is a

monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...

on the lichens in Hawaii, and a review of the lichens collected by

Sven Hedin Sven Anders Hedin, KNO1kl RVO,Wennerholm, Eric (1978) ''Sven Hedin – En biografi'', Bonniers, Stockholm (19 February 1865 – 26 November 1952) was a Swedish geographer, topographer, explorer, photographer, travel writer and illustrator ...

in Central Asia. He became an honorary

doctor of philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

at Uppsala University in 1932 and a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...

in Gothenburg in 1956. Magnusson's collections, numbering around 70,000 specimens, are kept at Uppsala University.

Eponymy

Magnusson has had several lichen taxa named in his honour. These include: '' Magnussoniolichen'' '' Magnussoniomyces'' , '' Acarospora magnussonii'' , '' Caloplaca magni-filii'' , '' C. magnussoniana'' , '' C. magnussonii'' , '' Cetraria magnussonii'' , '' Cladonia magnussonii'' , '' Dermatocarpon magnussonii'' , '' Involucrothele magnussonii'' , '' Lecanora magnussoniana'' , '' L. magnussonii'' , '' Lecidea magnussonii'' , '' Leptogium magnussonii'' , ''

Physcia magnussonii ''Physcia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Physciaceae. The genus name means "inflated" or "sausage-like", referring to the form of the type species. According to a 2008 estimate, the widespread genus contains 73 species. Species ...

'' , '' Polyblastia magnussoniana'' , '' Rinodina magnussoniana'' , '' Rinodina magnussonii'' , '' Sarcogyne magnussonii'' , '' Squamarina magnussonii'' , '' Thelocarpon magnussonii'' , '' Umbilicaria magnussonii'' , and '' Verrucaria magnussoniana'' .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnusson, Adolf Hugo 1885 births 1964 deaths Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences People from Uppland Swedish naturalists Swedish lichenologists Uppsala University alumni University of Gothenburg alumni Swedish taxonomists 20th-century naturalists

Life and career

Eponymy

See also

References