News

Success in Shenzhen!

The issue of who governs the rules of nomenclature relating only to fungi came to a head in the Nomenclature Section meetings of the 19^th International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen, China, on 17–21 July 2017. A copy of the report of mycological committees supporting the transfer of responsibilities for matters only related to fungi from International Botanical Congresses (IBCs) to International Mycological Congresses (IMCs) published in this journal (IMA Fungus 8(1): (9)–(11), June 2017) was one of just two papers included in the folder given to the 155 delegates present at the meetings; the other summarized the results of the pre-congress mail ballot on all proposals submitted to the Section (Turland et al., Taxon 66: 995–1000, 2017). While only 16 of the delegates were mycologists, it was gratifying that 80 of those present voted for the proposals developed by the Subcommittee charged with addressing this issue at the previous IBC in 2011 (May et al., Taxon 65: 246–248, 2017), with the amendment that the material only concerning fungi be included as a separate chapter or section in the Code. Each delegate to the Section can carry institutional votes, of which 266 were cast in favour, giving a final result of 346 votes (65.78%) for, and just 180 (34.22%) against this change. The decision was formally ratified at the closing plenary session of the IBC on 29 July 2017.

This means that mycologists participating in Nomenclature Sessions at future IMCs will be able to vote on matters concerning any changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) rules that relate solely to fungi. The procedures to be followed by future IMC Nomenclature Sessions are explained in the report of the Shenzhen meetings in this issue (Hawksworth et al., IMA Fungus 8: 211–218, 2017). That report also summarizes other changes relating to the naming of fungi that were approved in Shenzhen. The most far-reaching of these is the ability to protect familiar names against any unlisted name, and to register new typifications of named species. A fuller account of the changes relevant to mycologists, and information as to the procedures to be followed by the Nomenclature Session meeting at IMC11 in July is included later in this issue (Hawksworth et al., IMA Fungus 8: 211–218, 2017). Decision-making on changes in rules of nomenclature relating only to fungi are now firmly in the hands of mycologists.

The full results of the changes made and the voting on all proposals have been published by Turland et al. (Taxon 66: 1234–1245, October 2017). The Editorial Committee, which includes mycologists David L Hawksworth and Tom W May. meets in Berlin on 10–16 December 2017 to finalize the text of the Shenzhen ICN; this is expected to be published in the first half of 2018.

Mycologists at the Nomenclature Section meetings, with botanist Patricia Wiltshire who formally proposed the amendment to place fungal-only material in a separate section of the ICN.

Ballot results on the fungal governance proposals.

IMC 11 — Open for business

The Mycological Society of America (MSA), the International Mycological Association (IMA), the Puerto Rican Mycological Society (SPM), Universidad del Turabo, and Meet Puerto Rico invite all mycologists to attend the 11^th International Mycological Congress to be held on 16–21 July 2018 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Abstract submission, hotel reservations and meeting registration is now open

Visit www.imc11.com to access the list of symposia and workshops and see the exciting line-up of keynote and plenary speakers. For more information on the programme and venue, see the last two issues of IMA Fungus 7: (57)–(59), 2016 and 8: (11)–(13), 2017.

Deadlines: Abstract Submission deadline is 22 January 2018. Decisions from the Scientific Program Committee are expected by 1 March 2018. Early Bird registration closes March 2018. Final registration closes June 2018. The Final programme will be published in June 2018.

Travel Awards: The MSA has announced a competition for four travel awards for MSA members ($1500 each), eight travel awards for non-MSA members ($2500 each) to be awarded to postdoctoral fellows and faculty. Please see MSA International Awards for the procedures for applying. Travel awards for MSA students ($1000 each) are also available and the application procedures can be found at MSA Student Travel Awards.

San Juan will be ready for IMC11, and forest fungi will be abundant

San Juan will be fully functioning by July 2018 and ready to welcome IMC11 participants despite strikes by two major hurricanes in September 2017. Electricity is expected to return in early November to parts of San Juan that lost power, in time for the winter high-tourism season, while electricity, communications and water should return to the most of the island by April 2018. The San Juan Convention Center and all of the hotels that were contracted by the local organizing committee for IMC11 are currently running. The MSA wishes to support Puerto Rico’s recovery by bringing all of you to this still beautiful island.

Some Puerto Rican fungi (left to right): Cookeina speciosa, Hygrocybe occidentalis var. scarletina and Inocephalus sp. (Entolomataceae). Photos Sharon A. Cantrell (left and centre) and Timothy J. Baroni (right).

The forests have already started to produce new leaves and the landscape is in the process of re-greening. We can expect to see a high diversity and abundance of forest fungi on the tours based on previous post-hurricane records (download the Puerto Rico Fungi Data from the Fungi of the Greater Antilles, hosted by the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Network and search for your favorite fungi: https://portal.lternet.edu/nis/mapbrowse?packageid=knb-lterluq.86.2895650)/).

This is the third time in recent years that major hurricanes have struck Puerto Rico. Hurricane Hugo struck the island in 1989 and hurricane Georges in 1998. Based on the fungi collection records primarily from the Luquillo Mountains in the subsequent summers of 1990 and 1999, we can expect to find an abundance of asexual and sexual morphs of fungi, including many on the fallen debris. Among the sexual morphs, we can expect to find ascomycetes in Cordycipitaceae, Hyaloscyphaceae, Hypocreaceae, Lasiosphaeriaceae, Orbiliaceae, and Sarcoscyphaceae, but only few Xylariaceae (e.g. Biscaugniauxia). Among the basidiomycetes, corticoid fungi belonging to various families will be abundant, plus polypore fungi in Coriolaceae, Polyporaceae and Ganodermataceae (Amauroderma — a stipitate tropical genus, and Ganoderma). Podoscyphus — another tropical genus — should also be producing basidomes, along with earthstars (Geastrum), and coral fungi (Clavulina). Many agaricoid fungi should be evident as well including Crepidotus, various genera in the Entolomataceae, Gymnopilus, Hygrophoraceae (Hygrocybe, Hygroaster), Lepiota, Mycena, Psathyrella, Psilocybe, Marasmiaceae (Crinipellis, Hydropus, Marasmius), Pleurotus, Pluteus, Omphalotaceae (Gymnopus, Marasmiellus), Physalacriaceae (Armillaria), and Tricholomataceae (Arthromyces, Macrocybe, Tricholomopsis). Please come and join us in this cornucopia of fungi. We will welcome you all to Puerto Rico in the summer!

IMA Executive Committee: call for nominations

The Executive Committee of the IMA is composed of a maximum of 12 non-office holding members, whom can each serve a maximum of two consecutive terms (one term is four years, spanning one IMC to the next). Members of the EC are elected by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Executive Committee from nominations received not later than 15 February 2018, from the Sustaining Member Mycological Organizations (SMMOs), MMOs, the Executive Committee, or individual members.

Documents for nominees include a short cv, and an agreement (e-mail) that the candidate is willing to serve. Five or six positions need to be replaced at the IMC11 in Puerto Rico. Aspects to be considered by the IMA include gender equality, representative geographic distribution, and representation for all fields of mycology. Self-nomination is not allowed.

Nominations should be sent via e-mail to the IMA Secretary-General (p.crous@westerdijkinstitute.nl).

Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute new wing: Official opening

The opening of the new research wing of the Westerdijk Institute followed on from the Leading Women in Fungal Biology symposium (see pp. (48)–(49) of this issue) on 31 of August 2017. The opening address was given by Jan van Zanen, Mayor of Utrecht, followed by José van Dijck, President of the KNAW (The Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences), who then also revealed the bronze bust of Johanna Westerdijk, especially made for the occasion by artist Judith Pfaeltzer, and funded by numerous benefactors via a citizen science crowd funding action, with generous contributions from the Foundation Willie Commelin Scholten, among many others. The revealing of the artwork was followed by the planting of specially bred Elm (Ulmus) trees (resistant to Dutch Elm Disease), planted by Karen Maex (Rector Magnificus, University of Amsterdam), Bert van der Zwaan (Rector Magnificus, University of Utrecht), and Louise Fresco (President of the Board of the University of Wageningen). The new research wing was officially opened by Mieke Zaanen (Director-General, KNAW), and Mariëtte Oosterwegel (Managing Director, Westerdijk Institute).

Following the opening of the building, a toast was proposed by Pedro Crous (Scientific Director, Westerdijk Institute), with a beer especially brewed for the occasion, “Schoone Geest” taken from the motto of Westerdijk, “Werken en feesten vormt schoone geesten” — “Labour and celebrations make up sound minds”. The beer “Schoone Geest” honours the unique personality of Johanna (“Hans”) Westerdijk, the first female professor in the Netherlands and Director of the Westerdijk Institute. The beer was brewed with CBS 1171, the reference strain of the beer yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The amber coloured beer is warm, yeasty and complex; sweet, with a mild bitter after taste. The idea for the beer originates from Teun Boekhout of the Westerdijk Institute, and was brewed by “Louis Loyaal Speciaalbier”. Following a music intermezzo by “Meisjes met de Wijsjes”, in which songs were sung that were specifically composed for the fungi, guests were invited to a tour of the new facilities, while others simply enjoyed the BBQ, and discussed the qualities of CBS 1171 — a unique strain, which was much appreciated by all!