Petrak, 1886—1973 Von Hohnel, Hans Pioneered the Ascomycetes

PERSOONIA Published by the Rijksherbarium, Leiden Volume Part 9, I, pp. 95-96 (1976) Franz Petrak, 1886—1973 (With Plate 19) October in Vienna the of Dr. F. Petrak passed away on 9, 1973 at age 87 years. He born October 1886 in that time small was on 9, Mährisch-Weisskirchen, at a town in the Moravian province of the Austrian Monarchy, but now belonging to the CSSR under the Czech name Hranice. A gift of some books, especially some volumes of ‘Rabenhorst’s Kryptogemenflora’, and a small herbarium collection, stimulated interest in in He had been Petrak’s mycology 1910. previously a botany student at the University of Vienna and his thesis, written under the supervision of dealt with of the thistle Cirsium. World R. von Wettstein, some species genus During I he served in the Austrian and able to collect in War army was fungi Galicia, suitable Bosnia, Albania, and Macedonia. After the war he could not find a appoint- in Vienna elsewhere in the of and returned ment or remaining parts Austria, to Mährisch-Weisskirchen where he modestly started a career as a private scientist. He married in 1917 and in 1921 a son was born, the family income consisting of honoraria for in Botanischem and from the meagre writings ‘Just’s Jahresbericht’ sale of exsiccata (e.g. Flora Bohemiae et Moraviae exsiccata). Petrak became a well known mycologist through his numerous publications which have appeared in Hedwigia and Annales Mycologici since 1914. In 1919 the Notizen’ about numbers series ‘Mykologische was started; 1000 appearing filling than Petrak maintained extensive with more 1400 pages. an correspondence myco- logists all over the world, especially with H. Sydow in Berlin. Large herbarium collections were sent to him and therefore he also became familiar with tropical fungi. This again resulted in publications by Petrak, with the senders ofthe specimens as co-authors. In 1938 he was appointed to the Botanical Department ofthe Museum of Natural History at Vienna. After World War II he edited Sydowia (Annales Series of which volumes have been date. Petrak Mycologici, 2), 25 published to also the and in he the of was given opportunity to travel, 1950 stayed at Division Mycology, United States Department of Agriculture, in Beltsville for nearly one identified collections and examined year. There he numerous, mainly tropical, fungus collections. many type Franz von Hohnel, Hans Sydow, Ferdinand Theissen, and Franz Petrak by their critical studies pioneered the natural classification of the Ascomycetes and Coelo- All this work done without the aid of well laboratories mycetes. was equipped or libraries and without any assistance from governmental or other bodies (in fact the encountered set-backs work was often obstructed). Petrak, in particular, many his often and soul He during his life; he and family hardly keeping body together. was but and with heart. He a self-conscious, shy, friendly helpful person a warm was, 95 Vol. Part 96 Persoonia g, i, 1976 on the other hand, confidentof his capacity as a taxonomist, being quickly offended and sensitive to criticism. His knowledge, not only of Micromycetes, but also of toadstools and higher plants was enormous. A small piece of dead twig, bark or rotting wood was sufficient for him to identify a host-plant and he had an amazing memory. Franz Petrak was a corresponding memberof the Mycological Society ofAmerica in the writerof this and ofthe British Mycological Society. As astudent 1947, obituary worked for half under the of Franz Petrak who stimulated his a year guidance enthusiasm and familiarised him with mycological taxonomy. With Petrak the mycological world has lost the last of a groupof leading German- of his author's remains attached speaking taxonomists microfungi and name to a large number offungal taxa. J.A. von Arx Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures Baarn (The Netherlands) PLATE Persoonia 9(1) (von Arx) 19 FRANZ PETRAK Photograph, made in 1947 by H. Petrak (his son).

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