John Henry Warcup (29 October 1921 – 15 May 1998) was a New Zealand-born

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 moved to the United Kingdom to undertake his PhD, examining distribution of fungi through soil profiles at Lakenheath Warren, in the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

's botany department. He worked as a member of the Botany Department in the British Forestry Commission until 1951, when he accepted a position as a senior microbiologist in the Department of Plant Pathology at the then Waite Agricultural Research Institute,

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

where he worked until his retirement in 1986. In 1996 he was honoured by the British Mycological Society, becoming a Centenary Fellow. Warcup published over 70 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and was best known for his work with orchid

mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...

l fungi, along with ''

Aspergillus ' () is a genus consisting of several hundred mold species found in various climates worldwide. ''Aspergillus'' was first catalogued in 1729 by the Italian priest and biologist Pier Antonio Micheli. Viewing the fungi under a microscope, Miche ...

'' and ''

Penicillium ''Penicillium'' () is a genus of ascomycetous fungi that is part of the mycobiome of many species and is of major importance in the natural environment, in food spoilage, and in food and drug production. Some members of the genus produce pe ...

'' species. He was the patron of the Australasian Mycological Society, and two monotypic genera of fungi: ''

Warcupia ''Warcupia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Pyronemataceae. A monotypic genus, it contains the single species ''Warcupia terrestris'', first isolated from soil samples found near the University of Victoria campus, and also from soil from Sierr ...

'' (family

Pyronemataceae The Pyronemataceae are a family of fungi in the order Pezizales. It is the largest family of the Pezizales, encompassing 75 genera and approximately 500 species. Phylogenetic analyses does not support the prior classifications of this family, an ...

) and '' Warcupiella'' (family

Trichocomaceae The Trichocomaceae are a family of fungi in the order Eurotiales. Taxa are saprobes with aggressive colonization strategies, adaptable to extreme environmental conditions. Family members are cosmopolitan in distribution, ubiquitous in soil, and c ...

) are named in his honour.

Selected works

*Warcup JH (1950) ''The soil-plate method for isolation of fungi from soil''. Nature. 166: 117–118. Citations as of 17/04/2013: 363. *Warcup JH (1951) ''The ecology of soil fungi''. Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc. 34: 376–399. Citations as of 17/04/2013: 133. *Warcup JH (1957) ''Studies on the occurrence and activity of fungi in a wheat-field soil''. Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc. 40: 237–259. Citations as of 17/04/2013: 116. *Warcup JH & Talbot PHB (1967) ''Perfect states of Rhizoctonias associated with orchids''. New Phytologist. 66: 631. Citations as of 17/04/2013: 113. *Warcup JH (1981) ''The Mycorrhizal Relationships of Australian Orchids''. New Phytologist. 87: 371–381. Citations as of 17/04/2013: 108.

References

*Parbery DG (1998) 'Obituary John Henry Warcup (1921-1998)' Australasian Plant Pathology 27:(2) p130. *Simpson JA (1998) 'Obituary Jack Warcup' Australasian Mycological Newsletter 17. p43. {{DEFAULTSORT:Warcup, John Henry 1921 births 1998 deaths Australian mycologists New Zealand mycologists New Zealand expatriates in the United Kingdom New Zealand emigrants to Australia