Author
Rossman, Amy |
Submitted to: Inoculum
Publication Type: Review Article Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2006 Publication Date: 7/15/2006 Citation: Rossman, A.Y. 2006. Systematic Botany & Mycology Laboratory: Home of the U.S. National Fungus Collections. Inoculum 57(4):1-4. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The USDA Agricultural Research Service’ Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory (SBML) serves as the research base for five systematic mycologists plus two plant-quarantine mycologists. The SBML is also the organization that maintains the U.S. National Fungus Collections with databases about plant-associated fungi. The direction of the research and extent of the fungal databases has changed over the past two decades in order to meet the needs of U.S. agriculture. To some scientists this research may seem applied because it relates directly or indirectly to solving real-life problems while to others especially plant pathologists our research in the field of systematics appears to be basic because it does not always relate to a plant disease. In order to explain this enigma this invited feature article reviews the research programs about fungi conducted by mycologists at SBML and presents an overview of the U.S. National Fungus Collections with databases about plant-associated fungi and interactive keys with descriptions and illustrations available at the Web site. |