MycoRant

The stomping ground of mycologist Kathie Hodge is in the news, being featured in the article, Library of Fungus Diversity by Jing Jin, published by The Cornell Daily Sun:

The Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium (CUP) is located on the eastern edge of campus in a newly renovated and temperature-controlled facility. In CUP, many rows of large, dark metal cabinets neatly organize 400,000 fungal specimens by species and genus.

Prof. Kathie Hodge, plant pathology and plant microbe biology, is director of the CUP.  She refers to these cabinets as “stacks” because the fungus “herbarium” functions like a library, storing dried and pickled specimens, photographs and watercolor paintings.  The CUP lends these resources to Cornell researchers and other mycologists from around the world to study fungi.

Kudos to author Jin for doing such a nice job of explaining the purpose and value of such an herbarium collection. Professor Hodge is truly a “mycological ambassador.” I hope she does not mind that moniker! The article also features CUP curator Robert Dirig.

400,000 specimens? Not bad, not bad at all.

Tags: Cornell, Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium, fungal herbarium, Kathy Hodge, Robert Dirig