MycoLens is a section in IMA Fungus introduced for historical or topical commentaries and observations of potential interest to a wide range of mycologists, but which fall outside the scope of other sections of the journal. Notable historical databases of fungal names MYCOLENS Ronald H. Petersen1 and David L. Hawksworth2, 3, 4 1Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1100, USA; corresponding author e-mail:
[email protected] 2Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK 3Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal, Madrid 28040, Spain 4Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, TW9 3DS, UK Abstract: Present-day electronic databases of fungal names are 21st century versions of previous compilations for the same purpose. The comprehensive indices attached to books by Persoon and Fries summarized names known at those times. Later compilations appeared piecemeal in journals or free-standing, always improving but hardly available for “rapid retrieval.” Twentieth century Index of Fungi required tedious data entry from thousands of journals over many years, but the result could later be inserted into electronically retrievable computer programs. Index Fungorum includes data harvested from Index of Fungi, but perhaps its major source has been Saccardo’s Sylloge Fungorum, probably the most prodigious compilation of the 19th–20th century. Names for lichen-forming fungi were gleaned from the catalogues of Zahlbruckner and Lamb. The role of the Commonwealth Mycological Institute, its predecessors and its successors, has been significant. Key words: compilations, nomenclators, name registration, Index Fungorum.