{{Short description|German lichenologist (1925–2011)}} '''Aino Marjatta Henssen''' (12 April 1925, [[Elberfeld]] – 29 August 2011, [[Marburg]]<ref>[http://muistot.hs.fi/muistokirjoitus/4470/aino-henssen Aino Henssen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425062808/http://muistot.hs.fi/muistokirjoitus/4470/aino-henssen |date=2012-04-25 }} on ''hs.fi'' (finnish)</ref>), was a German [[lichenologist]] and systematist. Her father, [[Gottfried Henssen]], was a folklorist and her mother was [[Finns|Finnish]].<ref>[http://www.hs.fi/muistot/a1364358872893 Aino Henssen] {{in lang|fi}} Helsingin Sanomat</ref>
==Education and career== Henssen began her studies in biology in [[Freiburg]], Germany, before continuing in [[Marburg]]. She obtained her doctorate in 1953, which focused on the physiology of the aquatic plant ''[[Spirodela polyrhiza]]''. In 1963, she became the [[curator]] of the ''Botanisches Institut'' at ''[[University of Marburg|Philipps-Universität]]'' in Marburg, Germany. Following her habilitation in 1965, she was appointed in 1970 to the position of associate professor for [[thallophyte]] studies. She retired in 1990.<ref name=Schlechtendalia>{{cite journal|author=Kärnefelt, Ingvar|author2=Scholz, Peter|author3=Seaward, Mark R. D.|author4=Thell, Arne|title=Lichenology in Germany: past, present and future|journal=Schlechtendalia|volume=23|year=2012|pages=1–90|url=http://www.lichenology.org/PDFs/Kaernefelt%26al2012_LichenologyInGermany.pdf|access-date=2021-01-06|archive-date=2022-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121173609/http://www.lichenology.org/PDFs/Kaernefelt%26al2012_LichenologyInGermany.pdf|url-status=dead}} "Short biographies of 104 lichenologists who have played a key role in the development of German lichenology are provided." ("Aino Henssen" on pp. 41–43)</ref>
==Contributions== Henssen made many advancements to the [[taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] knowledge of [[cyanolichen]]s and wrote a textbook on the subject. This book reorganized the taxonomic classification and connected lichen families to evolutionary [[clade]]s. She later focused on [[actinomycetes]] during her postdoctoral at the Institute for Bacteriology in Berlin, leading to the discovery of two new genera, ''[[Pseudonocardia]]'' and ''[[Thermomonospora]]''.<ref name="Lumbsch & Döring 2012"/> In total, she described 3 [[order (biology)|orders]], 3 [[Family (taxonomy)|families]], 21 genera and more than 200 species of lichen-forming fungi.<ref name="Honegger 2012"/>
She was passionate towards her [[field work]], which took her around the world to collect specimens; her private specimen collection totalled more than 40,000 items. Over the years, Henssen published many scientific articles on topics relating to lichens, fungi and the systematics of these groups. Henssen published 113 scientific works on lichens between 1963 and 2007. Her final work was published in 2007, 17 years after retirement.<ref name="Honegger 2012"/> She has been credited for having introduced the term {{lichengloss|pycnoascocarp}} in a 1963 publication, referring to a specific type of {{lichengloss|apothecium|fruiting body}} characteristic of the family [[Lichinaceae]].<ref name="Mitchell 2014"/>
Henssen published two [[exsiccata|exsiccatae]], namely ''Lichenes cyanophili exsiccati'' (1969)<ref>{{cite web |title=Lichenes cyanophili exsiccati: IndExs ExsiccataID=313579917 |website=IndExs – Index of Exsiccatae |publisher=Botanische Staatssammlung München |url=https://www.botanischestaatssammlung.de/DatabaseClients/IndExs/Exsiccatae_IndExs_Details.jsp?ExsiccataID=313579917 |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref> and ''Lichenes cyanophili et fungi saxicolae exsiccati'' (1990).<ref>{{cite web |title=Lichenes cyanophili et fungi saxicolae exsiccati: IndExs ExsiccataID=763237893 |website=IndExs – Index of Exsiccatae |publisher=Botanische Staatssammlung München |url=https://www.botanischestaatssammlung.de/DatabaseClients/IndExs/Exsiccatae_IndExs_Details.jsp?ExsiccataID=763237893 |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref>
==Recognition== Henssen was given a scholarship from the [[American Association of University Women]]. A [[Festschrift]] was published in her honour on the occasion of her 65th birthday in 1990.<ref name="Honegger 2012"/> In 1992, she was honoured with an [[Acharius Medal]] for her lifetime contributions to lichenology.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jahns |first1=H. M. |title=Acharius Medallists. Aino Henssen |website=International Association of Lichenology (lichenology.org) |url=http://www.lichenology.org/index.html?/Awards/AchariusMedallists.html |access-date=2020-12-08 |archive-date=2021-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624065615/http://www.lichenology.org/index.html?%2FAwards%2FAchariusMedallists.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Eponymy=== Several [[taxon|taxa]] have been [[eponym|named to honour]] Henssen, including the genus ''[[Ainoa]]'' {{small|[[Lumbsch]] & I.Schmitt (2001)}}<ref name="Brodo & Lendemer 2015"/> and the species ''[[Caloplaca hensseniana]]'' {{small|Kalb (1990)}}; ''[[Diploschistes hensseniae]]'' {{small|Lumbsch & Elix (1985)}}; ''[[Gyalidea hensseniae]]'' {{small|Hafellner, Poelt & Vězda (1990)}}; ''[[Lecanora hensseniae]]'' {{small|Vänskä (1986)}}; ''[[Nephroma hensseniae]]'' {{small|P.James & F.J.White (1987)}}; ''[[Parmotrema hensseniae]]'' {{small|Krog (1990)}}; ''[[Rhizocarpon hensseniae]]'' {{small|Brodo (1990)}}; ''[[Rimularia hensseniae]]'' {{small|Hertel & Rambold (1990)}}; ''[[Stephanocyclos henssenianus]]'' {{small|Hertel (1983)}}; ''[[Sticta ainoae]]'' {{small|D.Galloway & J.Pickering (1990)}}; and ''[[Xanthoparmelia hensseniae]]'' {{small|O.Blanco, A.Crespo, Elix, D.Hawksw. & Lumbsch (2004)}}.<ref name="Honegger 2012"/><ref name="Hertel et al. 2017"/>
{{botanist|Henssen|Henssen, Aino}}
==See also== * [[:Category:Taxa named by Aino Henssen]]
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name="Brodo & Lendemer 2015">{{cite journal |last1=Brodo |first1=Irwin M. |last2=Lendemer |first2=James C. |title=A revision of the saxicolous, esorediate species of ''Ainoa'' and ''Trapelia'' (Baeomycetaceae and Trapeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) in North America, with the description of two new species |journal=The Bryologist |volume=118 |issue=4 |year=2015 |pages=385–399 |doi=10.1639/0007-2745-119.1.385 |s2cid=85927769}}</ref>
<ref name="Hertel et al. 2017">{{cite journal |first1=Hannes |last1=Hertel |first2=Georg |last2=Gärtner |first3=László |last3=Lőkös |title=Forscher an Österreichs Flechtenflora |trans-title=Investigators of Austria's lichen flora |journal=Stapfia |year=2017 |volume=104 |issue=2 |page=60 |language=German |url=https://www.zobodat.at/biografien/Flechtenforschung_Austria_STAPFIA_0104_2_0001-0211.pdf}}</ref>
<ref name="Honegger 2012">{{cite journal |last=Honegger |first=Rosmarie |title=Aino Marjatta Henssen (1925–2011) |journal=The Bryologist |volume=115 |issue=2 |year=2012 |doi=10.1639/0007-2745-115.2.350 |pages=350–353}}</ref>
<ref name="Lumbsch & Döring 2012">{{cite journal |title=A tribute to Aino Marjatta Henssen (1925-2011) |first1=H. Thorsten |last1=Lumbsch |first2=Heidi |last2=Döring |year=2012 |journal=The Lichenologist |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=1–4 |doi=10.1017/S002428291100079X |doi-access=free|bibcode=2012ThLic..44....1L }}</ref>
<ref name="Mitchell 2014">{{cite journal |last=Mitchell |first=M.E. |year=2014 |title=De Bary's legacy: the emergence of differing perspectives on lichen symbiosis |journal=Huntia |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=5–22 [15] |url=https://www.huntbotanical.org/admin/uploads/02hibd-huntia-15-1-pp05-22.pdf}}</ref>
}}
== External links == {{wikispecies}} * [http://www.lichenology.org/Awards/Acharius_Henssen.html Biography at lichenology.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311001312/http://www.lichenology.org/Awards/Acharius_Henssen.html |date=2007-03-11 }} {{Recipients of the Acharius Medal}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henssen, Aino}} [[Category:20th-century German botanists]] [[Category:German lichenologists]] [[Category:1925 births]] [[Category:2011 deaths]] [[Category:Acharius Medal recipients]] [[Category:German people of Finnish descent]] [[Category:20th-century German women scientists]] [[Category:People from Elberfeld]] [[Category:Scientists from Wuppertal]] [[Category:Women lichenologists]] [[Category:German women botanists]]