(Fritsch, 1918; Fritsch & Rich, 1924, 1925, Phycological Trailblazer 1929, 1937; Fritsch & Stephens, 1921). He No. 37 worked up collecQons of freshwater algae from the South Orkneys and elsewhere in the Felix Eugen Fritsch AntarcQc (1912a, b, c, 1917). In his later studies (1929a) of the encrusQng flora of rapid-moving streams on the north coast of (originally printed in the Phycological newsle4er. 2012. Devonshire, he recognized that the blue- Vol. 48 No. 2) green algae were the most abundant consQtuents. He also noted the presence of Felix Eugen Fritsch (26 April 1879 – 2 diatoms and a new species of Gongrosira (G . May 1954) (Fig. 1) was a major figure in fluminensis). He published an account of our phycology in the first half of the 20th century knowledge of algal ecology of staQc waters, (Lund, 1996). His accomplishments and providing an in-depth review of previous contribuQons deserve a re-telling in this work (1931). With R. P. John, Fritsch newly series. Of German extracQon, he was born recorded many taxa of algae from soils in the in London on 26 April, 1879, the son of a BriQsh Isles including a number of new schoolmaster. His species (Fritsch & John, educaQon was from the 1942). He described University of London, several new species of and his D. Phil. degree Sphaeroplea (Fritsch was earned at the 1918, 1929b; Fritsch & University of Munich in Rich, 1929). 1899. He was an Fritsch demonstrated a instructor in the period remarkable ability at 1902 to 1911 back at the synthesis, in recognizing University College, the parallel trends London. Following that among the diverse algal sQnt, he moved to classes but yet the Queen Mary College, differences that London. He received separated them (1929c). the rank of Professor of He was able to apply Botany in 1924 and new data to innovaQve served unl his schemes of classificaQon reQrement in 1948. (Fritsch, 1944c). Fritsch Fritsch’s (1902a, b, described many new 1903b, 1905) early genera of algae and publicaQons dealt with Cyanobacteria, including the phytoplankton of Fig. 1. Felix Eugen Fritsch and Mrs. Fritsch, Cladophorella (Fig. 2) the River Thames. He on a picnic near Stockholm, Sweden, 1950 (1944b) and (with M. F. paid a4enQon to (image by W. R. Taylor, MICH.) Rich) Pearsoniella periodicity in the algae (1924b) and Raphidiopsis (1906b). The scope of his (1929). But some of his interest in freshwater algae extended to Sri new genera did not stand the test of Qme. Lanka [Ceylon] (1907a) and other tropical His Chamaesiphonopsis (1929a) was later regions (1907b), including South Africa merged within Chamaesiphon by komárek & !1 it invalid (ICN, Art.34.1). AlgaeBase does not recognize the name at this Qme (Guiry & Guiry, 2012). At the Qme of the InternaQonal Botanical Congress held in Cambridge, England, in 1930, Fritsch was the recognized phycological authority on the world stage, and that pre-eminent stature is reflected in his front row, center posiQon in the photo that was taken of the assembled phycologists on that occasion (Fig. 3). Even then, his major achievement was in the future, namely, the publicaQon of his two volumes The structure and reproducon of the algae (Fritsch, 1935, 1945a). Up to that Qme, there was no such comprehensive work, other than the volumes (in German) by Oltmanns (1904-1905). So his monumental synthesis of the literature on all groups of algae was a tremendous accomplishment. The high quality of his work and his insight sQll stand as a bench mark in the annals of phycological literature. Fig. 2. Cladophorella calcicola. [From fig. 2 in Over his long career, Fritsch showed a Fritsch, 1944b.] special interest in the Cyanobacteria, producing treatments on Aphanochaete AnagnosQdis (1999), and his Chrooderma (1902c), Anabaena (1949d), and blue-greens (1942a) was merged within Cephaleuros by with lime-producing capabiliQes (1946, Printz (1964). Although Geitler (1942) had 1949b, 1950a, b). His presidenQal address for treated his two species of Fischerellopsis the Linnean Society demonstrated his long (1932) within Fischerella, the former name is fascinaQon with the heterocyst in currently accepted by komárek & Hauer Cyanobacteria (1951a). In a later presidenQal (2012). His Isococcus (1914), based on his I. address, Fritsch (1953) presented his views sphagnicolus, was later regarded as within on the Desmidiaceae, which he considered “a the circumscripQon of Chlamydomonas polyphylec group”. (Fritsch & Takeda, 1916). His Scoella, based He contributed his ideas on the on his S . antarcQca (Fritsch, 1912a), has widespread occurrence of heterotrichous been variously interpreted, such as the growth in various unrelated groups of algae, zygotes of some snow algae (Stein & including Cyanobacteria (Fritsch, 1939), and Amunsen, 1967; Hoham & Mullet, 1978). In thought that from it advanced types of thalli referring to “all the Cosmarium -like forms, in originated (Fritsch, 1942b). His interest was which the endview is 3- or more-sided with not restricted to freshwater algae, but he non-produced angles, under one common showed a breadth of interest, including life- generic heading”, Fritsch (1953: 266) stated history differences and strategies in the “the name Cosmostaurastrum may be marine algae (1942c, 1943a, 1949c) and suggested”. The somewhat provisional anatomy of the Fucales (1945c, 1952a). In treatment of this generic name would render the la4er phase of his career, he clearly !2 Fig. 3. Phycologists a4ending the InternaQonal Botanical Congress, Cambridge, 1930. Front row: Robert W. kolbe, Gustav A. Senn, Gilbert Morgan Smith, Adolf Pascher, Felix Eugen Fritsch, Nils Svedelius, Margery knight, Harald kylin, Nellie Carter; Back row: Bruno Schussnig, Arthur Disbrowe Co4on, M. O. P. Iyengar, BenJamin Millard Griffiths, Geoffrey Tandy, William Randolph Taylor,Anne Hof Blinks, W. H. Pearsall, M. Alison Westbrook, Ethel M. Poulton; on grass: Anthony Rees, Lothar Geitler [Courtesy of Univ. Mich. Herb. archives.] became more occupied with quesQons on illustraQons from the literature, such that by the evoluQon within the groups of algae and the Qme of his death, the collecQon the relaQonships of algae to land plants contained around 20,000 illustraQons. They (1949c). were donated by his widow to the Fritsch (1951b) contributed a chapter Freshwater Biological AssociaQon, which has on the Chrysophyta in G. M. Smith’s Manual conQnued the pracQce of gathering images of of Phycology, and at that Qme that phylum freshwater algae, thanks largely to Dr. John consisted of only three classes, the W. G. Lund (Lund, 1961). The Inter Xanthophyceae, Chrysophyceae, and DocumentaQon Company issued a microfiche Bacillariophyceae. In the 60+ years that have of the collecQon of illustraQons in 1964, with followed, our understanding of that algal a series of supplements later being issued assemblage, now usually called the (1972, 1978, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1996). The Ochrophyta, has come to recognize (at the Fritsch CollecQon of IllustraQons of moment) a total of 18 classes (Guiry, 2012). Freshwater Algae has grown to more than One of Fritsch’s legacies is the on- half a million figures (Dorr & Nicolson, 2009). going accumulaQon of illustraQons of Many of these images were used in the freshwater algae. He started it around 1912, producon of The freshwater algal flora of with his own illustraQons, and he kept adding the Bri;sh Isles (John et al., 2002, 2011). to it his own sketches and as well as Fritsch was a significant force in the founding !3 of the Freshwater Biological AssociaQon in 1929. An anonymous note (1955) on his passing recounted the launching of the Freshwater Biological AssociaQon and its “struggle” to come into existence, at a meeQng in June, 1929. Then on a cold day in March, 1931, Fritsch and Mr. J. T. Saunders, the Hon. Secretary, traveled to Windemere to inspect a few rooms in Wray Castle. Three rooms were available to rent to start the fledgling AssociaQon (a boudoir, a smoking room, and a library, which was the third and largest room). With its limited funds, then insufficient to build a new staQon or a laboratory, the AssociaQon “would have to make the best of what had been offered in the Castle”. With Qme, the whole building would be later occupied by the AssociaQon. Fig. 4. Fritschiella tuberosa Iyengar. [From Fritsch was elected as a Fellow of the figs 3-8 in Fritsch (1945b), based on Iyengar Royal Society in 1932 and was honored with (1932) and Singh (1941)]. their Darwin Medal in 1950. From 1949 to 1952 he served as President of the Linnean periodical development of the algae in the Society. Iyengar (1932) remembered him arQficial waters of kew. Annals of Botany 17: with the honorific Fritschiella (Fig. 4), a 274-278. genus possessing several disQncQve features, ______. 1903b. Further observaQons on the including the formaQon of parenchyma and phytoplankton of the River Thames. Annals of perennaQng “tubers” (Fritsch, 1945b). Botany 17: 631-647. ______. 1905. The plankton of some English rivers. Anonymous. 1955. Report of the Council for 1954-55. Annals of Botany 19: 163-167. Freshwater Biological AssociaQon Twenty- ______. 1906a. Algae. BulleQn of miscellaneous Third Annual report for the year ended 31 informaQon. The wild fauna and flora of the March, 1955…pp. 7-10, with portrait of Royal Botanic Gardens. kew BulleQn, Fritsch. AddiQonal Series V: 187-220. Dorr, L. J. & D. H. Nicolson. 2009. Taxonomic ______. 1906b. Problems in aquaQc biology, with literature…Supplement VIII: Fres-G. Regnum special reference to the study of algal Vegetabile vol. 150. Gantner Verlag. periodicity. New Phytologist 5: 149-169. Fritsch, F. E. 1902a. Algological notes I. Preliminary ______. 1907a. A general consideraQon of the report on the phytoplankton of the Thames. subaërial and fresh-water algal flora of Annals of Botany 16: 1-9. Ceylon. A contribuQon to the study of tropical ______. 1902b. Algological notes III. Preliminary algal ecology.