Albert Pilát (November 2, 1903 – May 29, 1974) was a Czech

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

and

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

. He studied at the Faculty of Science at

Charles University ) , image_name = Carolinum_Logo.svg , image_size = 200px , established = , type = Public, Ancient , budget = 8.9 billion CZK , rector = Milena Králíčková , faculty = 4,057 , administrative_staff = 4,026 , students = 51,438 , undergr ...

, under the guidance of Professor

Josef Velenovský Josef Velenovský (22 April 1858 – 7 May 1949) was a Czech botanist, mycologist, pteridologist, and bryologist. He also worked with fossils. He was a research investigator and professor in the Botanical Institute of the University of Prague ...

. In 1930, he joined the

National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...

, eventually becoming head of the Mycological Department, and in 1960 a corresponding member of the academy. He was the author of many popular and scholarly publications in the field of mycology and mountain flora. He also served as the main editor of the scientific journal ''

Czech Mycology Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture Czech culture has been shaped by its geographical position in the middle of Europe. Infl ...

'', and described several species of fungi. His areas of particular interest include polypores and boletes. He explored the

Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Ural Mountains, Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The ...

looking for fungi and travelled widely. He was also a skilled photographer. In 1934, Josef Velenovský published in Monogr. Discom. Bohem. vol.35 on page 289, a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of fungi within the Hyaloscyphaceae family, '' Pilatia'' which was named in his honour. In 1936, he wrote with Dr Charles Kavina - 'Atlas des champignons de l'Europe' Pilát died suddenly of cardiac failure in 1974.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilat, Albert 1903 births 1974 deaths Czech mycologists Charles University alumni Czechoslovak botanists