Orson Knapp Miller Jr. (December 19, 1930 – June 9, 2006) was an American

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 published numerous papers in mycology and was responsible for the naming of many taxa, as well as being one of the authors erecting the

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 ...

'' Chroogomphus''. He described ''

Omphalotus olivascens ''Omphalotus olivascens'', commonly known as the western jack-o'-lantern mushroom, is an orange to brown-colored gilled mushroom native to California and Mexico. Taxonomy The fungus was described as new to science in 1976 by American mycologis ...

'', several species of ''

Amanita The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities result ...

'', and the ghoul fungus '' Hebeloma aminophilum''. He married Hope Hartigan Miller in 1953; both were mycologists and published books, including at least one together. Hope died on September 26, 2018.

Works

His books include:BOTANICAL ELECTRONIC NEWS
ISSN 1188-603X; July 19, 2006 * ''Mushrooms of North America'' (1972) * ''Gasteromycetes: Morphological and Developmental Features with Keys to the Orders, Families, and Genera'' (1988) * ''North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi'' (2006) (with Hope H. Miller)

Awards and honors

He received the William H. Weston Award for Teaching Excellence in Mycology, and the Distinguished Mycologist Award. Several fungus species have been named in his honor, including: *'' Amanita orsonii'' Ash.Kumar & T.N. Lakh. (1990) *'' Clitocybe milleri'' H.E.Bigelow (1985) *'' Crepidotus milleri''

Hesler Hesler may refer to: * Mount Hesler, mount in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Canada *Georg Hesler (1427–1482), German Roman Catholic cardinal and bishop *Lexemuel Ray Hesler (1888–1977), American mycologist *Nicole Duval Hesler ...

& A.H.Sm. (1965) *'' Entoloma milleri'' Noordel. (2004) *'' Pholiota milleri'' A.H. Sm. & Hesler (1968) *''

Plectania milleri ''Plectania milleri'' is a species of fungus in the family Sarcosomataceae The Sarcosomataceae are a family of fungi in the order Pezizales. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 10 genera and 57 species. Most species are found in ...

'' Paden & Tylutki (1969) *''

Tylopilus orsonianus ''Tylopilus orsonianus'' is a bolete fungus of the genus '' Tylopilus''. It is found in the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana, where it fruits singly to scattered on root mats of forests dominated by the tree ''Dicymbe corymbosa''. It was first de ...

'' Fulgenzi & T.W.Henkel (2007)

References

External links

Obituary
1930 births 2006 deaths American mycologists Botanists with author abbreviations {{Mycologist-stub