Welcome to North American Fungi
North American Fungi publishes original, peer-reviewed articles on Fungi (Chytrids, Zygomycetes, lichenized and non-lichenized Ascomycetes, and Basidiomycetes) as well as other organisms traditionally studied by mycologists, such as Oomycetes and slime molds. The journal is freely available worldwide, at no cost to authors, readers, or libraries. Electronic publication enables authors to include color illustrations, extensive lists of references, specimen citations, and supplemental materials. Manuscripts are published following rigorous peer review. In order to expedite publication, postings occur as soon as manuscripts are ready for publication rather than at set intervals.
Papers including taxonomic novelties are published in conjunction with distribution of printed copies to major regional and world centers of mycology.
The accompanying illustration originally was published by Jean Marchant in 1711 to show a strange organism he collected in 1709. The name (Lithophyton terrestre digitatum nigrum ) he gave to the organism is a polynomial, an archaic form of scientific name that predated Linnaeus' popularizing of binomials, the style of scientific name (consisting of a genus name and a species epithet, such as Xylaria digitata ) now used by taxonomists. By describing this organism in the genus Lithophyton Marchant followed his belief that it was a terrestrial member of the soft corals (Lithophyton continues to be used today for soft corals). Today, 200 years after Marchant collected it, the organism is recognized as a fungus. Although his original name for the fungus has fallen into disuse, biologists still regard his illustration as one of the very first to show fungal spores and perithecia. For more information about this historically noteworthy fungus, and other early illustrations of Xylaria species, click on the illustration to read the accompanying article by Pfister. [file size: 1008 kb].
