Adolf Hugo Magnusson (1 March 188514 July 1964) was a Swedish naturalist who specialized in

lichenology Lichenology is the branch of mycology that studies the lichens, symbiotic organisms made up of an intimate symbiotic association of a microscopic alga (or a cyanobacterium) with a filamentous fungus. Study of lichens draws knowledge from severa ...

. He was a school teacher in Gothenburg from 1909 to 1948, but spent his spare time on the study of lichens. He described about 900 new

taxa In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...

, specializing in the genera ''

Lecidea ''Lecidea'' is a genus of crustose lichens with a carbon black ring or outer margin (exciple) around the fruiting body disc (apothecium), usually (or always) found growing on (saxicolous) or in ( endolithic) rock.Field Guide to California Lichen ...

'', ''

Lecanora ''Lecanora'' is a genus of lichen commonly called rim lichens.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, Lichens in the genus '' Squamarina'' are also called rim lichens. Members of the genus have roughly ...

'', ''

Caloplaca ''Caloplaca'' is a lichen genus comprising a number of distinct species. Members of the genus are commonly called firedot lichen, jewel lichen.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, gold lichens, "or ...

'', and ''

Acarospora ''Acarospora'' is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Acarosporaceae. Most species in the genus are crustose lichens that grow on rocks in open and arid places all over the world. They may look like a cobblestone road or cracked ...

''.

Life and career

Magnusson began studying botany at

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. The university rose to significance durin ...

in 1904, but was forced to cancel his studies for financial reasons after only a year and instead became educated as a primary school teacher. In 1909 he was enrolled at the

University of Gothenburg The University of Gothenburg ( sv, Göteborgs universitet) is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg. Founded in 1891, the university is the third-oldest of the current Swedish universities and with 37,000 students and 6000 s ...

, where he graduated with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in philosophy in 1913 and a philosophy degree in 1914. He worked as a schoolteacher until his retirement. Magnusson became an internationally renowned lichenologist who described about 900 species in about 150 scientific publications. He studied all kinds of lichens, but was particularly interested in

crustose lichen Crustose lichens are lichens that form a crust which strongly adheres to the substrate (soil, rock, tree bark, etc.), making separation from the substrate impossible without destruction. The basic structure of crustose lichens consists of a cor ...

s such as ''

'', ''

'', and ''

Rinodina ''Rinodina'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Physciaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains about 265 species. It is hypothesized that a few saxicolous species common to dry regions of western North America, s ...

''. Magnusson identified more than 900 lichen specimens collected by Finnish amateur botanist during the

Yenisey The Yenisey (russian: Енисе́й, ''Yeniséy''; mn, Горлог мөрөн, ''Gorlog mörön''; Buryat: Горлог мүрэн, ''Gorlog müren''; Tuvan: Улуг-Хем, ''Uluğ-Hem''; Khakas: Ким суғ, ''Kim suğ''; Ket: Ӄук ...

river expedition in 1876. Among Magnusson's publications is a monograph on the lichens in Hawaii, and a review of the lichens collected by

Sven Hedin Sven Anders Hedin, KNO1kl RVO,Wennerholm, Eric (1978) ''Sven Hedin – En biografi'', Bonniers, Stockholm (19 February 1865 – 26 November 1952) was a Swedish geographer, topographer, explorer, photographer, travel writer and illustrator ...

in Central Asia. He became an honorary

doctor of philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

at Uppsala University in 1932 and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Gothenburg in 1956. Magnusson's collections, numbering around 70,000 specimens, are kept at Uppsala University.

Eponymy

Magnusson has had several lichen taxa named in his honour. These include: ''

Magnussoniolichen ''Polyblastia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Verrucariaceae. As of 2020, it consists of about 40 species combined with about 50 orphaned species. The main difference with the genus ''Verrucaria'' is related to spores, which are mu ...

'' ''

Magnussoniomyces ''Polyblastia'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Verrucariaceae. As of 2020, it consists of about 40 species combined with about 50 orphaned species. The main difference with the genus ''Verrucaria'' is related to spores, which are mu ...

'' , ''

Acarospora magnussonii ''Acarospora'' is a genus of mostly lichen-forming fungi in the family Acarosporaceae. Most species in the genus are crustose lichens that grow on rocks in open and arid places all over the world. They may look like a cobblestone road or cr ...

'' , ''

Caloplaca magni-filii ''Caloplaca'' is a lichen genus comprising a number of distinct species. Members of the genus are commonly called firedot lichen, jewel lichen.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, gold lichens, "ora ...

'' , '' C. magnussoniana'' , '' C. magnussonii'' , ''

Cetraria magnussonii ''Cetraria'' is a genus of fruticose lichens that associate with green algae as photobionts. Most species are found at high latitudes, occurring on sand or heath. Species have a characteristic "strap-like" form, with spiny lobe edges. ''Cetra ...

'' , ''

Cladonia magnussonii ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the N ...

'' , ''

Dermatocarpon magnussonii ''Dermatocarpon'' is a genus of lichens in the family Verrucariaceae. Members of the genus are commonly called stippleback lichens because they have fruiting structures called perithecia that are flask-shaped structures embedded in the nonfrui ...

'' , '' Involucrothele magnussonii'' , '' Lecanora magnussoniana'' , '' L. magnussonii'' , '' Lecidea magnussonii'' , '' Leptogium magnussonii'' , '' Physcia magnussonii'' , '' Polyblastia magnussoniana'' , '' Rinodina magnussoniana'' , '' Rinodina magnussonii'' , '' Sarcogyne magnussonii'' , ''

Squamarina magnussonii ''Squamarina'' is a genus of lichens in the family Stereocaulaceae, although it has recently been suggested that it may belong in the family Ramalinaceae.Ekman, Stefan, Heidi L. Andersen, and Mats Wedin. 2008. The limitations of ancestral stat ...

'' , ''

Thelocarpon magnussonii ''Thelocarpon'' is a genus of fungi in the family Thelocarpaceae. Species *'' Thelocarpon albidum'' *'' Thelocarpon algicola'' *'' Thelocarpon andicola'' *'' Thelocarpon citrum'' *'' Thelocarpon coccosporum'' *'' Thelocarpon cyaneum'' ...

'' , ''

Umbilicaria magnussonii Rock tripe is the common name for various lichens of the genus ''Umbilicaria'' that grow on rocks. They are widely distributed, including on bare rock in Antarctica, and throughout northern parts of North America such as New England and the Ro ...

'' , and ''

Verrucaria magnussoniana ''Verrucaria'' is a genus of lichenized (lichen-forming) fungi in the family Verrucariaceae. Taxonomy The genus was circumscribed by German botanist Heinrich Adolph Schrader in 1794, with ''Verrucaria rupestris'' assigned as the type species. ...

'' .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnusson, Adolf Hugo 1885 births 1964 deaths Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences People from Uppland Swedish naturalists Swedish lichenologists Uppsala University alumni University of Gothenburg alumni Swedish taxonomists 20th-century naturalists

Life and career

Eponymy

See also

References