Elias Magnus Fries

Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist. He was born at Femsjö in Småland as the son of a priest. In 1811 he entered Lund University where he took the doctorate in 1814. In the same year he was appointed an associate professorship in botany, and in 1824, became a full professor. In 1834 he became professor borgströmianus of practical economy at Uppsala University. The post was changed to "profes... more

Elias Magnus Fries (15 August 1794 – 8 February 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist. He was born at Femsjö in Småland as the son of a priest. In 1811 he entered Lund University where he took the doctorate in 1814. In the same year he was appointed an associate professorship in botany, and in 1824, became a full professor. In 1834 he became professor borgströmianus of practical economy at Uppsala University. The post was changed to "professor of botany and practical economy" in 1851; he was also the director of the Uppsala University Botanical Garden. In 1821, he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. His most important works were the three-volume Systema mycologicum (1821–1832), Elenchus fungorum (1828), the two-volume Monographia hymenomycetum Sueciae (1857 and 1863) and Hymenomycetes Europaei (1874). Fries is considered to be, after Christian Hendrik Persoon, founding father of the modern taxonomy of mushrooms. His taxonomy of mushrooms was influenced... less