PERSONAL NEWS

John Webster (1925–2014)

The demise of John Webster, mycologist of Plant Infection brimmed with ideas enthusiasm for these fungi while on a extraordinaire, removes from our midst and concepts, John Webster’s book must trip to Ambleside in Scotland with John an esteemed colleague and friend whose be reckoned a down-to-earth text that to collect Ingoldian fungi in an effort to passion lay in teaching and experiment- brought to life fungi in their natural habi- lectotypify many of the species described ing with live specimens and collections tats and their relationships. by him. John arranged a caravan to take to the excitement of his students and col- Noting the importance and need for him and Ingold to collecting sites in Am- leagues. First and foremost, he was a teaching aids, John laid stress on deve- bleside. great teacher gifted with an extraordinary loping techniques and skills. He also pro- John’s interest in fungal biology later curiosity and passion to learn, experiment duced several films showing fungal on extended to studies on ballistics of and teach. He was unique in enthusing development and life cycles as part of spore discharge in basidiomycetes, in- many students into doing mycology in its teaching aids. Everything he did was spired by Reginald Buller’s classic Re- broadest sense at home and overseas. aimed at excellence in learning and searches on Fungi. Techniques of release John was born in Kirkby, Ashfield teaching towards making good mycology of spores into the air captured by high- (Nottinghamshire) on 25 May 1925, the and good mycologists. speed video microscopy were perfected joint youngest (with his twin brother) of by John and his team at Exeter in the four children. He took his degree at the 1980s. The physiological mechanism was University of Nottingham and had to do construed as a surface-tension catapult. what should have been a 3-year degree in Physiology, biochemistry and mechani- two years (1943–1945) during the War. cal engineering, and related disciplines He went on to Hull, where he married served in the solution of a problem of Brom in 1950. Moving to Sheffield, he this nature. became Lecturer and then Reader in Among his early students in Sheffield, A. R. Clapham’s Department in the Uni- Mien Rifai produced a monograph of the versity of Sheffield. Appointed Professor genus Trichoderma completed under his and Head of the Department in Exeter in supervision. Rifai also wrote a mono- 1969, John spent many active and fruitful graph on Australiasian Pezizales. Another years and built an active and dynamic student, Enrque Descals, collaborated group around him until he retired. In with John in his studies on Ingoldian fact, even after retirement he continued fungi. Lynne Boddy, Nick Money, Alan to work and went on to produce a third Rayner, Naresh Magan and Clara Robin- edition of Introduction to Fungi together The interactions of the biota, of plants son were his other notable students who with his former student, Roland Weber. and fungi loomed large in his many con- distinguished themselves. This was published in 2007, when John tributions. The essence of these studies John Webster was President of the was 82. During his last years, illness en- lay in fungal ecology, the life of fungi in British Mycological Society (BMS) in feebled him and he passed away on 27 diverse habitats and biotic interactions. 1969 and again in 1996, the centennial of December 2014. Fungal succession in dung and excreta, the BMS. He participated in the Interna- John Webster was what I consider a for example, excited his curiosity leading tional Symposium on Taxonomy of ‘holomycologist’. He was no narrow to concepts on coprophilous fungal Fungi in Madras in 1973 and the Annual specialist. One of the methods he used to succession, during the 1950s and imme- Meeting of the Mycological Society of impart knowledge was the foray. He diately thereafter. The sequential break- India and the International Mycological wanted his students to see and study down of substrates, John noted, was a Association Committee for Asia fungi in their natural habitats. Live feature of succession, given the nature of (IMACA) meeting in Goa in 1998. At specimens and cultures were introduced the substrate. Later studies focused on this meeting, he delivered a Plenary Lec- to students with experiments and demon- freshwater aquatic fungi, the Ingoldian ture on ‘Some advances in fungal ecol- strations. The result of this endeavour fungi, inspired by Terence Ingold’s clas- ogy over the past 50 years’. At the 1973 was his Introduction to Fungi, published sic paper on aquatic hyphomycetes in the Symposium he was in the company of in 1971. Referring to extant mycology 1943 Transactions of the British Myco- many of his friends, notably Ingold. texts, John once told me that he wanted logical Society. The diverse and curious Apart from these contributions, John to publish a textbook that reflected this shapes of these conidia conjured up in Webster was known for his organiza- philosophy which evolved from his own the mind an evident functional role in tional skills. Mycology showed up remark- intimate experience. Every illustration dissemination. One of John’s later stu- ably well at the International Botanical was drawn from live specimens collected dents, Descals collaborated with John in Congress at Edinburgh in 1964, thanks to by John himself, reflecting an aura of au- these studies. John used to look for and his skills in organization. John also did a thenticity. Beauty lay in authenticity. collect these fungi, for example, in his splendid job in organizing the First There is little doubt that many students travels in India – in a stream in Kambak- International Mycological Congress in worldwide benefited from the three edi- kam Hills not far from Madras (Chen- Exeter in 1971, which was presided over tions of his masterly treatment of the nai). Writing to me a few years ago, by Ingold. During the years after the subject. If Ernst Gaeumann’s Principles Ingold wanted me to share with him his First International Mycological Congress

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(IMCI), John continued to play a pivotal days through the years in Exeter, they love of nature and dignity in human rela- role in the organization and development used to have me stay with them, receiv- tionships. of mycology globally. He was President ing me warmly, besides arranging to I am deeply indebted to John’s daugh- of the International Mycological Asso- show me around the laboratory and col- ter Sarah for providing me information ciation (IMA) during 1983–1990 and was lections of beautiful fungi and plant about him and the family. also a Honorary President of the IMA. diseases. The Kindrogan autumn foray John and Brom (who predeceased him) which I attended with John and Brom in C. V. SUBRAMANIAN are survived by their son, daughter and 1968 is still fresh in my memory. Brom’s grand children. Christmas and New Year cards always A-8, Damayanthi Apartments, I have known John for over four dec- depicted nature, and came to me year 17 South Mada Street, ades. My friendship with John and Brom after year, reminding me of their kind- Nungambakkam, remains a highlight in human relation- ness and hospitality. John and Brom Chennai 600 034, India ships. From the time of their Sheffield were indeed a rare couple who radiated e-mail: [email protected]

Smile with Science By – Mundre Ningappa Ramesha e-mail: [email protected]

Edited by R. Srinivasan, and printed & published by G. Madhavan for Current Science Association, Bangalore 560 080. Typeset by WINTECS Typesetters (Ph: 2332 7311), Bangalore and Printed at Lotus Printers Pvt Ltd, Bangalore (Ph: 2320 9909)

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