Edwin Butterworth Mains (1890–1968) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 was known for his taxonomic research on the

rust fungi Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales (previously known as Uredinales). An estimated 168 rust genera and approximately 7,000 species, more than half of which belong to the genus ''Puccinia'', are currently a ...

(

Pucciniomycetes The Pucciniomycetes (formerly known as the Urediniomycetes) are a class of fungi in the Pucciniomycotina subdivision of the Basidiomycota. The class contains 5 orders, 21 families, 190 genera, and 8016 species. It includes several important ...

), the genus ''

Cordyceps ''Cordyceps'' is a genus of ascomycete fungi (sac fungi) that includes about 600 species. Most ''Cordyceps'' species are endoparasitoids, parasitic mainly on insects and other arthropods (they are thus entomopathogenic fungi); a few are parasiti ...

'', and the earth tongues (

Geoglossaceae Geoglossaceae is a family of fungi in the order Geoglossales, class Geoglossomycetes. These fungi are broadly known as earth tongues. The ascocarps of most species in the family Geoglossaceae are terrestrial and are generally small, dark in col ...

Biography

Edwin Butterworth Mains was born on 31 March 1890 in Coldwater,

Branch County, Michigan Branch County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 44,862. The county seat is Coldwater. As one of the " cabinet counties" it was named for the U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Branch under Presi ...

. The son of Benjamin W. and Mary Ann (Butterworth) Mains. Mains began his undergraduate education at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

in 1909, but transferred to the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1911. He earned his Ph.D. in botany from the University of Michigan in 1916 under the tutelage of

Calvin Henry Kauffman Calvin Henry Kauffman (March 1, 1869–1931) was an American botanist and mycologist. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he was affiliated with the University of Michigan from 1904 until his death, and was known ...

while investigating the parasite-host relationships of various rust fungi. He was appointed Assistant Botanist at the

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

Agricultural Experimental Station by Joseph Charles Arthur in 1916. He married Mary Esther Elder on 16 August 1917 in East Lansing, Michigan. Mains was appointed Acting Director of the University of Michigan Herbarium following the illness of C.H. Kauffman in 1930 and was named Director in 1931. Mains remained at the University of Michigan, both as a professor and as Director of the Herbarium, until his retirement in 1960. Mains served as Chair of the Department of Botany at Michigan during World War II. Mains remained in Ann Arbor following his retirement and died of a heart attack on 23 December 1968. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Coldwater, Michigan. While at Michigan, Mains was active in the Ann Arbor Garden Club. Mains was highly interested in photography and was a noted and exhibited photographer of nature. Mains was prominent in the development and use of color photography in mycological education.

Mycological contributions

Mains' early professional career was dedicated to the study of plant rusts (

Pucciniales Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales (previously known as Uredinales). An estimated 168 rust genera and approximately 7,000 species, more than half of which belong to the genus ''Puccinia'', are currently a ...

). He collaborated with Arthur and others on "The Plant Rusts (Uredinales)" in 1929, a major treatment of an economically important group of fungi. Mains continued working on rusts after transferring to Michigan, though most of his later studies focused on ''Cordyceps'' and the Geoglossaceae. Mains' collections and research greatly enriched the University of Michigan Herbarium, which developed "from a position of obscurity to one of international prominence" under his directorship. Mains was elected Vice-President of the

Mycological Society of America The Mycological Society of America (MSA) is a learned society that serves as the professional organization of mycologists in the U.S. and Canada. It was founded in 1932. The Society's constitution states that "The purpose of the Society is to promo ...

in 1938, and President in 1942. Mains also served the Mycological Society of America as a counselor from 1943-1944. Mains and C.L. Lundell investigated the flora of the high rain forest and mountain pine ridge in the southern El Cayo District,

British Honduras British Honduras was a British Crown colony on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony, renamed Belize in June 1973,

in 1937.

Taxa described

Mains described a total of 80 new species, two new form, eleven new varieties, and made 20 new combinations of species. As of 2014, 55 of his species, both new forms, two varieties, and 18 recombinations are still accepted (having not been assigned to another genus or reduced to synonymy under previously published names). Mains also described five genera, three of which were later reduced to synonymy.

Mycological lineage

Mains belongs to the C.H. Kauffman Lineage of American mycologists. Kauffman himself was influenced by Robert Almer Harper and

George Francis Atkinson George Francis Atkinson (January 26, 1854 – November 14, 1918) was an American botanist and mycologist.Makers of American Botany, Harry Baker Humphrey, Ronald Press Company, Library of Congress Card Number 61-18435 He was born on January 26, ...

. During Mains' tenure at the University of Michigan, he mentored or advised thirteen prominent mycologists: * Jean D. Arnold (Ph.D. 1935) * Harold Johnston Brodie (Ph.D. 1934) * Clair Alan Brown (Ph.D. 1933) * George William Fisher (Ph.D. 1935) * John Robert Hardison (MS 1940, Ph.D. 1942) * Henry Andrew Imshaug (Ph.D. 1951) * Marion Lee Lohman * Josiah Linocoln Lowe (Ph.D. 1938) * Douglas Barton Osborne Savile (Ph.D. 1939) * John Arvid Schmitt (MS 1950, Ph.D. 1954) *

Alexander Hanchett Smith Alexander Hanchett Smith (December 12, 1904 – December 12, 1986) was an American mycologist known for his extensive contributions to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the higher fungi, especially the agarics. Early life Smith, born in Crandon, Wis ...

(Ph.D. 1933) * Delbert Swartz * Joseph S. Tidd Mains' lineage of North American mycologists is large and widespread. Brodie, Fisher, Imshaug, Lowe, and Smith all mentored a number of students, including Joseph Ammirati, Howard E. Bigelow,

Irwin M. Brodo Irwin M. Brodo (born 1935) is an emeritus scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is an authority on the identification and biology of lichens. Irwin Brodo was honored in 1994 with an Acharius Medal presented to h ...

Robert Lee Gilbertson Robert Lee Gilbertson (January 15, 1925 – October 26, 2011) was a distinguished American mycology, mycologist and educator. He was a faculty member at University of Arizona for 26 years until his retirement from teaching in 1995; he was a Prof ...

, Orson K. Miller Jr., and Harry Thiers, all of whom have been greatly influential in American mycology.

Eponymous taxa

*''Mainsia'' H.S. Jacks 1931 = ''

Gerwasia Gerwasia is a genus of rust fungi in the family Phragmidiaceae. Species in the genus grow on ''Rubus'' and ''Rosa Rosa or De Rosa may refer to: People *Rosa (given name) * Rosa (surname) *Santa Rosa (female given name from Latin-a latinized ...

'' Racib. 1909 *'' Ravenelia mainsiana'' Arthur & Holw. 1918 *'' Favolaschia mainsii'' Singer 1974 *'' Galerina mainsii'' A.H. Sm. & Singer 1958 *'' Gibellula mainsii'' Samson & H.C. Evans 1992

Publications

Mains authored or coauthored more than 90 research publications and books: *1916. Mains EB
"Some factors concerned in the germination of rust spores".
''Report of the Michigan Academy of Science'' 17: 136-140. *1916. ———. "The wintering of ''Coleosporum solidaginis''". ''Phytopathology'' 6: 371-372. *1917. ———
"The relationship of some rusts to the physiology of their hosts".
''American Journal of Botany'' 4 (4): 179-220. *1917. ———. "Species of ''Melampsora'' occurring on ''Euphorbia'' in North America". ''Phytopathology'' 7 101-105. *1919. Arthur JC, Mains EB
"Grass rusts of unusual structure".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 46 (10): 411-415. *1921. Mains EB
"Unusual rusts on ''Nyssa'' and ''Urticastrum''".
''American Journal of Botany'' 8 (9): 442-451. *1921. ———

''Mycologia'' 13 (6): 315-322. *1921. ———, Jackson HS. "Two strains of ''Puccinia triticina'' on wheat in the United States". ''Phytopathology'' 11: 40. *1921. Jackson HS, Mains EB
"Aecial stage of the orange leaf rust of wheat, ''Puccinia triticina'' Eriks."
''Journal of Agricultural Research (Washington, DC)'' 22: 151-172. *1922. Arthur JC, Mains EB. "Uredinales: ''Bullaria''". ''North American Flora'' 7: 482-515. *1923. Mains EB, Jackson HS. "Strains of the leaf rust of wheat, ''Puccinia triticina'', in the United States". ''Phytopathology'' 13: 36. *1923. Mains EB, Leighty CE. "Resistance in rye to leaf rust, ''Puccinia dispersa'' Erikss." ''Journal of Agricultural Research'' 25 (5): 243-252. *1924. Mains EB
"Notes on greenhouse culture methods used in rust investigations".
''Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Sciences'' 33: 241-257. *1924. Mains EB, Jackson HS. "Aecial stage of the leaf rust of rye, ''Puccinia dispersa'' Erikss. and Hen., and of barley, ''P. anomala'' Rostr., in the United States". ''Journal of Agricultural Research'' 28 (11): 1119-1126. *1925. Whetzel HH, Jackson HS, Mains EB. "The composite life history of ''Puccinia podophyli'' Schw." ''Journal of Agricultural Research'' 30: 65-79. *1926. Mains EB. "Rye resistant to leaf rust, stem rust, and powdery mildew". ''Journal of Agricultural Research'' 32: 201-221. *1926. ———. "Studies in rust resistance". ''Journal of Heredity'' 17 (9): 313-325. *1926. ———, Jackson HS. "Physiologic specialisation in the leaf rust of Wheat, ''Puccinia triticina'' Erikas." ''Phytopathology '' 16 (2): 89-120. *1926. Mains EB, Leighty CE, Johnston CO. "Inheritance of resistance to leaf rust, ''Puccinia tritica'' Erikss., in crosses of common wheat, ''Triticum vulgare'' Vill." ''Journal of Agricultural Research'' 32: 931-972. *1927 (Published in 1928). Mains EB. "Observations concerning clover diseases". ''Proclamations of the Indiana Academy of Sciences'' 37: 355-364. *1928. Mains EB, Thompson D. "Studies on snapdragon rust, ''Puccinia antirrhini''". ''Phytopathology'' 18: 150. *1928 (Published in 1929). ———. "Observations concerning disease of iris and tulips". ''Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Sciences'' 38: 93-102. *1929. ———. "Physiologic specialization and species development and nomenclature". ''Proclamations of the Internal Congress of Plant Sciences, Ithaca, New York 1926'' 2: 1767-1770. *1929. Arthur JC, Kern FD, Orton CR, Fromme FD, Jackson HS, Mains EB, Bisby GR. ''The plant rusts (Uridinales)''. John Wiley and Sons, London. 446 pp. *1929. Gardner MW, Mains EB. "Indiana plant diseases". ''Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Sciences'' 39: 85-99. *1930. Mains EB. "Host specialization of barley leaf rust ''Puccinia anamola''". ''Phytopathology'' 20 (2): 873-882. *1930. ———. "Effect of leaf rust (''Puccinia triticina'' Eriks.) on yield of wheat". ''Journal of Agricultural Research'' 40 (5): 417-446. *1930. ———, Diktz SM. "Physiologic forms of Barley mildew, ''Erysiphe graminis hordei''". ''Phytopathology'' 20 (3): 229-239. *1931. Mains EB
"Calvin Henry Kauffman".
''Science'' 74 (1914): 235. *1931. ———. "Inheritance of resistance to rust, ''Puccinia sorghi'', in maize." ''Journal of Agricultural Research'' 43: 419-430. *1932. ———

''Mycologia'' 24 (2): 207-214. *1932. ———

''Mycologia'' 24 (3): 265-267. *1932. ———. "Host specialization in the leaf rust of grasses, ''Puccinia rubigo-vera''". ''Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letter'' 17: 289-394. *1933. ———

''Mycologia'' 25 (5): 407-417. *1933. ———
"Host specialization in ''Erysiphe graminis tritici''".
''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' 19 (1): 49-53. *1934. ———

''Mycologia'' 26 (2): 122-132. *1934. ———
"The genera ''Cordyceps'' and ''Ophiocordyceps'' in Michigan".
''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' 74 (4): 263-271. *1934. ———
"Host specialization in the rust of iris, ''Puccinia iridis''".
''American Journal of Botany'' 21 (1): 23-33. *1934. ———. "Host specialization of ''Puccinia sorghi''". ''Phytopathology'' 24 (4): 405-411. *1934. ———. "Inheritance of resistance to powdery mildew, ''Erysiphe graminis tritici'', in wheat". ''Phytopathology'' 24 (11): 1257-1261. *1935. ———

''Mycologia'' 27: 638-641. *1935. ———. "Rust resistance in ''Antirrhinum''". ''Phytopathology'' 25 (11): 977-991. *1935. ———. "Michigan fungi. I". ''Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters'' 20: 81-93. *1935. ———. "Rusts and smuts from the Yucutan Peninsula". ''Publications, Carnegie Institute of Washington'' 461: 95-106. *1936 (Published in 1937). ———. "Rusts from the lower Rio Grande valley, Texas". ''Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters'' 22: 153-157. *1937. ———

''Mycologia'' 29 (6): 674-677. *1937 (Published in 1938). ———. "Host specialization in ''Coleosporium solidaginis'' and ''C. campanulae''". ''Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters'' 23: 171-175. *1938. ———
"The genus ''Blastospora''".
''American Journal of Botany'' 25 (9): 677-679. *1938. ———
"Studies in the Uredinales, the genus ''Chaconia''".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 65 (9): 625-629. *1938. ———. "Additional studies concerning the rust of iris, ''Puccinia iridis''". ''Phytopathology'' 28 (1): 67-71. *1938. ———

''Mycologia'' 30 (1): 42-45. *1938. ———

''Mycologia'' 30 (2): 243. *1939. ———
"Studies in the Uredinales, the genus ''Maravalia''".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 66 (3): 173-179. *1939. ———

''Annales Mycologici'' 37 (1): 57-60. *1939. ———

''Mycologia'' 31 (1): 33-42. *1939. ———

''Mycologia'' 31 (2): 175-190. *1939. ———
"New and unusual species of the Uredinales".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 66 (9): 617-621. *1939. ———. "''Cordyceps'' from the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee". ''Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society'' 55 (1): 117-129. *1939. ———

''Mycologia'' 31 (2): 232-234. *1939. ———. "Rusts from British Honduras". ''Contributions from the University of Michigan Herbarium'' 1: 5-19. *1939. ———, Overholts LO, Pomerleau R

''Mycologia'' 31 (6): 728-736. *1939 (Published in 1940). Mains EB. "''Cordyceps'' species from Michigan". ''Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters'' 25: 79-84. *1940. ———
"''Tegillum'', a new genus of the Uredinales".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 67 (8): 705-709. *1940. ———

''Mycologia'' 32 (3): 310-320. *1940. ———
"New and unusual species of the Geoglossaceae".
''American Journal of Botany'' 27 (5): 322-326. *1940. ———

''Mycologia'' 32 (1): 16-22. *1940. ———

''Mycologia'' 32 (3): 310-320. *1941. ———

''Mycologia'' 33 (6): 611-617. *1942. ———. "Phlox resistant to powdery mildew". ''Phytopathology'' 32 (5): 414-418. *1942. ———

''Mycologia'' 34 (6): 601-605. *1947. ———

''Mycologia'' 39 (5): 535-545. *1948. ———

''Mycologia'' 40 (4): 402-416. *1948. ———

''Mycologia'' 40 (6): 717-723. *1949. ———
"''Cordyceps bicephala'' Berk. and ''C. australis'' (Speg.) Sacc."
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 76: 24-30. *1949. ———

''Mycologia'' 41 (3): 303-310. *1950. ———

''Mycologia'' 42 (2): 306-321. *1950. ———

''Mycologia'' 42 (4): 566-589. *1951. ———
"Notes concerning entomogenous fungi".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 78 (2): 122-133. *1952. ———

''Mycologia'' 43 (6): 691-718. *1953. ———. "''Stilbum tomentosum''". ''Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters'' 38: 45-51. *1954. ———
"Species of ''Cordyceps'' on spiders".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 81 (6): 492-500. *1954. ———

''Mycologia'' 46 (5): 586-631. *1955. ———

''Mycologia'' 47 (6): 846-877. *1955. ———. "Some entomogenous species of ''Isaria''". ''Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters'' 40: 23-32. *1956. ———

''Mycologia'' 48 (3): 410-419. *1956. ———

''Mycologia'' 48 (5): 694-710. *1957. ———
"Species of ''Cordyceps'' parasitic on ''Elaphomyces''".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 84 (4): 243-251. *1957. ———. "Information concerning species of ''Cordyceps'' and ''Ophionectria'' in the Lloyd Herbarium". ''Lloydia'' 20 (4): 219-227. *1958. ———

''Mycologia'' 50: 169-222. *1959. ———. "North American species of ''Aschersonia'' parasitic on Aleyrodidae". ''Journal of Insect Pathology'' 1: 43-47. *1959. ———
"Species of ''Hypocrella''".
''Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata'' 11: 311-326. *1959. ———
"''Cordyceps'' species".
''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club'' 86 (1): 46-58. *1959. ———. "North American species of ''Aschersonia'' parasitic on Aleyrodidae". ''Journal of Insect Pathology'' 1 (1): 43-47. *1960. ———. "Species of ''Aschersonia'' (Sphaeropsidales)". ''Lloydia'' 22 (3): 215-221.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mains, Edwin Butterworth 1890 births 1968 deaths American mycologists University of Michigan alumni University of Michigan faculty