Elias Judah Durand (20 March 1870 -– 29 October 1922) was an American mycologist, and botanist. He was one of the foremost American experts on the discomycetes.

Elias Judah Durand
Born(1870-03-20)March 20, 1870
DiedOctober 29, 1922(1922-10-29) (aged 52)
Known forContributions to taxonomic mycology, and botany
Scientific career
FieldsMycology
Author abbrev. (botany)E.J. Durand

Biography

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Elias Judah Durand was born in Canandaigua, New York. He received his bachelor's degree in botany and entomology from Cornell University in 1893 and his Doctor of Science in botany in 1895 under George Francis Atkinson at Cornell.[1] Following graduation he taught botany and mycology[2] at Cornell until 1910, first as a fellow and later as an instructor.[1] In 1910, Durand was appointed professor of botany at the University of Missouri,[3] where he remained until 1918. In 1918, Durand was named professor at the University of Minnesota, where from 1920 to 1921 he was the Chairman of the Department of Botany.[4] He remained at the University of Minnesota until his death from cancer on 29 October 1922.[1][5][6] Durand is buried in the Durand family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery in Canandaigua, New York.[6] He married Anna Louise Perry on 6 September 1899 and had one child, Anna Louise Durand (d. 1981), on 6 June 1901. Anna Louise died shortly after giving birth to their daughter on 11 June 1901. He married Sue Gertrude Stone (d. 1957) on 24 July 1917.[6]

Mycological contributions

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Durand contributed to a broad range of botanical sciences, ranging from bryology and pteridology to mycology.[5] He was recognized and highly respected as an authority on discomycetes, and was one of the first Americans to study the group extensively.[5][7] His personal collection, numbering 12,087 specimens of discomycetes, including 16 types, 27 paratypes, 2 syntypes, and 6,000 microscope slides, was deposited in the Plant Pathology Herbarium at Cornell University (CUP), helping establish that herbarium as a leading center for the study of discomycetes.[4][5] Durand's collections included 650 types (mostly discomycetes) from other authors and herbaria, currently stored at Cornell University.[4] Additional specimens Durand collected are stored in the herbaria of the Field Museum of Natural History, the University of Kentucky, the University of Minnesota, the New York Botanical Garden, and Pomona College.[8]

Taxa described and new combinations

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E.J. Durand described a total of 25 new species, one new form, one new variety, and made 20 new combinations of species. As of 2014, nine of his species and ten recombinations are still accepted (having not been assigned to another genus or reduced to synonymy under previously published names). Durand also described two genera, Gloeoglossum and Ionomidotis which were both later reduced to synonymy.[9][10]

Mycological lineage

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Durand earned his Doctorate of Science under G.F. Atkinson at Cornell. Durand belongs to the mycological lineage of William Russel Dudley. Dudley was a student and assistant under Albert Nelson Prentiss, who was the first head of the Department of Botany at Cornell University.[7] Dudley mentored G.F. Atkinson who later returned to Cornell when Dudley left in 1892.[7][11] While Durand did not directly mentor any students who would later become professional mycologists, he was well-regarded as an instructor in undergraduate courses.[1][5]

Honors and memberships

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While a student at Cornell, Durand was a member of Sigma Xi, Quill and Dagger, Congress, the Classical Association, and the Natural History Society (of which he was president in his senior year).[6] Durand was a charter member of the American Mycological Society (which merged with the Botanical Society of America in 1903).[12] He was also a member of the American Phytopathological Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[3][6]

Eponymous taxa

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Publications

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Durand authored or coauthored 30 research publications and one general botany laboratory textbook:[5][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jennings, O.E. (1923). "Elias Judah Durand". The Bryologist. 26 (6): 67–viii. doi:10.1639/0007-2745(1923)26[67:ejd]2.0.co;2. JSTOR 3238026.
  2. ^ Anonymous (1898). Announcement of the New York State College of Forestry, 1898-1899. Andrus & Church.
  3. ^ a b Stevens, F.L. (1910). "News and Notes". Mycologia. 2 (3): 156–158. doi:10.1080/00275514.1910.12020766. JSTOR 3753623.
  4. ^ a b c Hodge, K.T. "Preserving the integrity of types: What's a kleptotype?".
  5. ^ a b c d e f Harvey, R.B. (1923). "Elias Judah Durand". Phytopathology. 13: 408–409.
  6. ^ a b c d e Anonymous (1922). "Cornell Alumni News" (PDF). 25 (7): 93. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ a b c Korf, R.P. (1991). "An historical perspective: Mycology in the departments of botany and of plant pathology at Cornell University and the Geneva Agricultural Experimental Station". Mycotaxon. 20: 107–128.
  8. ^ a b Stafleu, F.A.; Mennega, E.A. (2000). Taxonomic Literature: A selective guide to botanical publications and collections with dates, commentaries, and types. Koeltz Scientific Books. ISBN 978-3904144179.
  9. ^ GBIF. "E.J. Durand author search results". Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  10. ^ R.B.G. Kew: Mycology, Landcare Research. "Index Fungorum". Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  11. ^ Blackwell, M.; Gilbertson, R.L. (1 August 2013). "A Genealogy of North American Mycologists". Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  12. ^ Botanical Society of America. "A brief history - Botanical Society of America". Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  13. ^ Rehm, H. (1913). "Ascomycetes exs. Fasc. 52". Annales Mycologici. 11 (2): 166–171.
  14. ^ a b Seaver, F.J. (1932). "The Genera of Fungi". Mycologia. 24 (2): 248–263. JSTOR 3753693.
  15. ^ Seaver, F.J. (1928). North American Cup-Fungi (Operculates). F.J. Seaver. ISBN 9783768211741.
  16. ^ Rehm, H. (1904). "Ascomycetes Americae Borealis". Annales Mycologici. 2 (1): 32–37.
  17. ^ Teng, S.C. (1932). "Fungi of Chekiang I.". Contributions from the Biological Laboratory of the Science Society of China. 8: 49–71.
  18. ^ International Plant Names Index.  E.J.Durand.
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