Marinus Anton Donk (14 August 1908 – 2 September 1972) was a Dutch

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 specialized in the taxonomy and nomenclature of mushrooms.

Rolf Singer Rolf Singer (June 23, 1906 – January 18, 1994) was a Germany, German-born mycologist and one of the most important Taxonomy (biology), taxonomists of gilled mushrooms (agarics) in the 20th century. After receiving his Ph.D. at the University ...

wrote in his obituary that he was "one of the most outstanding figures of contemporary mycology."

Early life

Donk was born in Situbondo, East Java in 1908, and completed secondary school in The Hague, Netherlands. He studied biology at the University of Utrecht, starting in 1927. As a graduate student in mycology he completed the work for his 1931 "Revisie van de Nederlandse Heterobasidiomyceteae" (Revision of the Dutch Heterobasidiomycetes). He completed his studies and attained a doctorate degree in 1933 with the second part of his work, ''Revisie van de Nederlandse Heterobasidiomyceteae II''. Afterwards he returned to Java, where he worked from 1934 to 1940 as a teacher, and, starting from 1941 as a curator in the

herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sheet of paper (called ...

of the Buitenzorg Botanical Garden. He was interned in a Japanese prison camp from 1942 to 1945. During his time there, he managed to culture yeast that grew in palm inflorescences in the camps; he used the yeast to ferment rice, which provided essential vitamins for the prisoners.

Career

Donk's main research area was on the taxonomy of the mushrooms, especially the

Aphyllophorales The Aphyllophorales is an obsolete order of fungi in the Basidiomycota. The order is entirely artificial, bringing together a miscellany of species now grouped among the clavarioid fungi, corticioid fungi, cyphelloid fungi, hydnoid fungi, and p ...

and Heterobasidiomycetes. He was involved in the development of a modern system to

classify Classification is a process related to categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Classification is the grouping of related facts into classes. It may also refer to: Business, organizat ...

the Aphyllophorales and influenced nomenclatural rules for mushrooms. Donk became Head of the Herbarium Bogoriense from 1947 to 1955, and a Deputy Professor at the University of Indonesia in 1952. It was around this time when he became interested in nomenclature. After returning to Holland, he was the head of the Mycological Department at Rijksherbarium in Leiden from 1956 to 1972, and a member of the

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences ( nl, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, abbreviated: KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed ...

from 1954 to 1960. Donk was also the president of the Nomenclature Committee of the International Botanical Congresses, in the Committee for Fungi and Lichens. Together with his colleague Rudolph Arnold Maas Geesteranus, Donk founded the journal '' Persoonia'' in 1959. He was honoured in 1973, when 2 botanist published ''

Donkioporia ''Donkioporia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Fomitopsidaceae. The genus consists of two resupinate (crust-like) species: the type '' Donkioporia expansa'', and '' D. albidofusca'' (formerly '' Poria albidofusca''), which was transferre ...

'', which is a genus of fungi in the family

Fomitopsidaceae The Fomitopsidaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. Most species are parasitic on woody plants, and tend to cause brown rots. The name comes from ''Fomitopsis'' (meaning "looking like Fomes") + ''-aceae'' (a suffix used to form t ...

Selected publications

*(1931) Revisie van de Nederlandse Heterobasidiomyceteae (uitgez. Uredinales en Ustilaginales) en Homobasidiomyceteae-Aphyllophraceae : I. (Revision of the Dutch Heterobasidiomycetes (except for the Uredinales and Ustilaginales) and Homobasidiomycetes: Aphyllophraceae) in Mededeelingen van de Nederlandsche Mycologische Vereeniging (Proceedings of the Dutch Mycological Association) 18:20 S. 67–200. *(1933) Revisie van de Nederlandse Heterobasidiomyceteae (uitgez. Uredinales en Ustilaginales) en Homobasidiomyceteae-Aphyllophraceae : II. in Mededeelingen van het Botanisch Museum en Herbarium van de Rijks Universiteit te Utrecht 9 S. 1–278. *(1949) New and revised nomina generica conservanda proposed for Basidiomycetes (Fungi) in Annales du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg (Annals of the Buitenzorg Botanical Garden) 3rd series, 18 S. 83–168. *(1949) Nomenclatural notes on generic names of agarics (Fungi: Agaricales) in Annales du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg (Annals of the Buitenzorg Botanical Garden) 3rd series, Bd. 18 S. 271–402 *(1959) Notes on Cyphellaceae: 1 in Persoonia 1 S. 25–110. *(1962) The generic names proposed for the Agaricaceae in Beihefte Nova Hedwigia (supplement to Nova Hedwigia) 5 S. 1–320. *(1962) Notes on Cyphellaceae: 2 in Persoonia 2 S. 331–348. *(1964) A conspectus of the families of Aphyllophorales in Persoonia 3 S. 199–324. *(1964) The generic names proposed for Polyporaceae in Persoonia 1 S. 173–302.

Taxa described

*''

Clavariadelphus ''Clavariadelphus'' is a genus of club fungi in the family Clavariadelphaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution in temperate areas, and contains an estimated 19 species. The name might mean ''uterus-shaped club'', from the Latin ''clava'' ...

'' Donk *''

Datronia ''Datronia'' is a genus of poroid crust fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The genus was circumscribed by Marinus Anton Donk in 1966, with '' Datronia mollis'' as the type species. ''Datronia'' fungi cause a white rot in hardwoods. ''Datronia'' c ...

'' Donk *''

Osteina ''Osteina'' is a fungal genus in the family Fomitopsidaceae. It is a monotypic genus that contains the single species ''Osteina obducta''. The genus was circumscribed by mycologist Marinus Anton Donk in 1966, with ''Polyporus obductus'' as the typ ...

'' Donk *'' Ramariopsis'' (Donk) Corner (as '' Clavaria'' subg. ''Ramariopsis'') *''

Thanatephorus ''Rhizoctonia'' is a genus of fungi in the order Cantharellales. Species form thin, effused, corticioid basidiocarps (fruit bodies), but are most frequently found in their sterile, anamorphic state. ''Rhizoctonia'' species are saprotrophic, but ...

'' Donk

Eponymous taxa

*''Donkella'' Doty 1950 (now ''

Clavulinopsis ''Clavulinopsis'' is a genus of coral fungi in the family Clavariaceae. The genus, first described scientifically by Casper van Overeem in 1923, has a widespread distribution. The name means "having the appearance of ''Clavulina''". Species , ...

'') *''Donkia'' Pilat 1937 (now ''

Climacodon ''Climacodon'' is a widespread genus of tooth fungi in the family Phanerochaetaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed by Finnish mycologist Petter Karsten in 1881 with ''Climacodon septentrionalis'' as the type species. This fungus was orig ...

'') *''

'' Kotl. & Pouzar 1973

References