Václav Melzer (26 August 1878 – 1 May 1968) was a Czech teacher 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 ...

, who was part of a group of Czech teachers who became mycologists at the beginning of the 20th century that also included figures such as Jindřich Kučera, Rudolf Veselý, and František Tyttl. A substantial part of his life was spent living and working in

Domažlice Domažlice (; german: Taus) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 11,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The tow ...

. Melzer's scientific work was devoted mainly to ''

Russula ''Russula'' is a very large genus composed of around 750 worldwide species of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored – making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushr ...

'', in which he published the first Czech

monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...

of this

basidiomycete Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...

genus. His discoveries in this genus included the ''

Russula sardonia ''Russula sardonia'', commonly known as the primrose brittlegill, is a mushroom of the genus ''Russula'', which are commonly known as brittlegills. The fruiting body, or mushroom, is a reddish-purple, the colour of blackberry juice, and is found ...

'' variety ''mellini'', described in 1927, and '' Russula helodes'' in 1929, based on collections from the

Soběslav Soběslav (; german: Sobieslau) is a town in Tábor District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,800 inhabitants. The historical town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Admi ...

area. The mycologist

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 ...

named the bolete species '' Boletus melzeri'' in his honor in 1922, which was initially collected by Melzer in 1920 at Čechtice. Other taxa named after Melzer include the species '' Lentinus melzeri'', '' Russula melzeri'', and ''Russula lilacea'' var. ''melzeriana'' (now '' Russula melzeriana''); the genera '' Melzericium'' and '' Melzerodontia'' are also named in his honor. He is well known in mycology for developing the staining solution

Melzer's reagent Melzer's reagent (also known as Melzer's iodine reagent, Melzer's solution or informally as Melzer's) is a chemical reagent used by mycologists to assist with the identification of fungi, and by phytopathologists for fungi that are plant pathogens ...

, which he developed in 1924 as a modification of an older

chloral hydrate Chloral hydrate is a geminal diol with the formula . It is a colorless solid. It has limited use as a sedative and hypnotic pharmaceutical drug. It is also a useful laboratory chemical reagent and precursor. It is derived from chloral (trichl ...

-containing iodine solution developed by the botanist Arthur Meyer. In ''Russula'', the genus in which Melzer specialized, the

amyloid Amyloids are aggregates of proteins characterised by a Fibril, fibrillar morphology of 7–13 Nanometer, nm in diameter, a beta sheet (β-sheet) Secondary structure of proteins, secondary structure (known as cross-β) and ability to be Staining, ...

reaction of the

basidiospore A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are pro ...

ornamentation or entire spore is of great

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

significance.The Russulales News Team. 2007. Introduction to the Russulales
Characteristics of the russuloid fungi
, '' Russulales News '' (website)

References

*''This article was initially translated from the Czech Wikipedia.'' Czech mycologists Czech educators People from Domažlice 1878 births 1968 deaths Scientists from Austria-Hungary {{CzechRepublic-scientist-stub