Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory

Specimens in the U.S. National Fungus Collections. The U.S. National Fungus Collections (BPI) are the repository for over one million fungal specimens worldwide and are the largest such collections in the world. Information associated with these specimens constitute an enormous data resource, especially about plant-associated fungi. Data from the labels ofmore than750,000of the specimens have been entered into a database. These labels have information on the host on which the fungus was found and the locality in which the specimen was collected. Sixty percent of these specimens are from the United States and thus represent a large body of information about the fungi in this country. Data entry has been completed for the Uredinales (rusts), the Ustilaginales (smuts), the Polyporales (polypores), the Deuteromycetes (imperfect fungi), the Ascomycetes, and the C.G. Lloyd collections. Recent progress has been made in the computerization of specimens of the agarics and the"lower" fungi including the Oomycetes and Chytridiomycetes.

Fungus-Host Distributions. This database includes reports of fungi on vascular plants and plant products according to their distribution by state (for the U.S.) and country taken from over 12,000 literature sources. Currently the database contains 78,000 fungal taxa on 54,000 vascular plant hosts representing 310,000 unique host-fungus combinations. Over 300 countries and territories are included. Records are continuously added as new publications are received. This database was used to produce the book Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States (APS Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1989).

Literature. An outstanding database more than 32,000 references on the systematicsof plant pathogenic fungi isavailable. The worldwide literature received at the SMML is reviewed for important references on world distribution, taxonomy, and biology of plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Keywords for each piece of literature are derived primarily from fungus and host scientific names and country. Data in this database was used to produce the book Literature Guide for the Identification of Plant Pathogenic Fungi (APS Press, St. Paul, Minnesota,1987).

Nomenclature. This database contains information on the accepted names, synonyms and alternate states for approximately 38,000 fungal names. Additional information on general distribution and useful literature is also included. The database includes the nomenclatural information published in Farr et al., Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States (APS Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1989) in its entirety. After 1989, data was added irregularly and the nomenclature was reviewed for selected plant hosts. The date of verification, if present, indicates that the nomenclature record has been updated. Records lacking dates of verification reflect older literature sources (probably pre-1989) and should be interpreted with caution. [More details about nomenclature records in the database]

Index to Saccardo's Sylloge Fungorum. A database was developed for all the fungal names included in Saccardo's 26-volume work, Index to Saccardo's Sylloge Fungorum, published from 1881 to 1931 and in 1972. About 117,000 fungal names are indexed, often with more than one citation. This database was published as a book entitled Index to Saccardo's Sylloge Fungorum.

International Mycological Institute's Index of Fungi. A database on the International Mycological Institute's Index of Fungi, covering 1940-2005, is available. It can be searched by genus or species of fungus and gives the reference (volume and page) to the Index of Fungi.

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Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory Fungal Database. May 18, 2008

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

Send comments or questions about the databases to Erin McCray
Page last updated 15 September 2006

Suggested citation: Farr, D.F., Rossman, A.Y., Palm, M.E., & McCray, E.B. Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. Retrieved May 18, 2008, from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/

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If you check Use Synonyms for a fungus name, synonym and alternate state names in the database will be included in the search. Checking Use Synonyms for a host name will include synonyms from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the PLANTS Database, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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