# International Mycological Institute

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/International_Mycological_Institute
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/International_Mycological_Institute.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mycological_Institute
> Source revision: 1280843087
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

The **International Mycological Institute** was a non-profit organisation, based in [England](/source/England), that undertook research and disseminated information on [fungi](/source/Fungi), particularly [plant pathogenic](/source/Plant_pathology) species causing crop diseases. It was established as the Imperial Bureau of Mycology at [Kew](/source/Kew) in 1920 and amalgamated with [CAB International](/source/CAB_International) in 1998.

## History

The **Imperial Bureau of Mycology** was established in 1920 as a centre for accumulating and disseminating information on [plant pathogenic](/source/Plant_pathology) [fungi](/source/Fungi) in the [British Empire](/source/British_Empire) and for undertaking [systematic research](/source/Systematics) into such fungi. It was initially based in two houses at [Kew](/source/Kew), but in 1930 moved into a purpose-built building in the grounds of the [Royal Botanic Gardens](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew). In the same year, it became part of the [Imperial Agricultural Bureaux](/source/Imperial_Agricultural_Bureaux) and was renamed the **Imperial Mycological Institute** (IMI).[1]

IMI provided an identification service for pathogenic fungi from 1921 onwards and in 1922 started publishing abstracts of research literature in the *Review of Applied Mycology*. An [herbarium](/source/Herbarium) of fungal specimens was also established. The journal *Index of Fungi*, covering all new fungal names, began in 1940 and the *Bibliography of Systematic Mycology* in 1947. In 1943, the first edition of the standard reference work, the *Dictionary of the Fungi* was published. A culture collection of living fungi was initiated in 1947.[1]

In 1948, IMI changed its name to the **Commonwealth Mycological Institute** and in 1986 to the International Mycological Institute. In 1993, it was moved from Kew to [Egham](/source/Egham), Surrey,[1] and in 1998 it merged with the International Institute of Entomology, the International Institute of Biocontrol, and the International Institute of Parasitology to form [CAB International](/source/CAB_International).[2] In 2010, the former IMI herbarium was merged with that of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.[3]

### Directors

### Director of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology

- Sir [Edwin John Butler](/source/Edwin_John_Butler) (1920–1930)

### Director of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology

- Sir Edwin John Butler (1930–1935)

- [Sydney Francis Ashby](/source/Sydney_Francis_Ashby) (1935–1939)

- [Samuel Paul Wiltshire](/source/Samuel_Paul_Wiltshire) (1940–1948)

### Director of the Commonwealth Mycological Institute

- Samuel Paul Wiltshire (1948–1956)

- [John Collier Frederick Hopkins](/source/John_Collier_Frederick_Hopkins) (1956–1964)

- [Geoffrey Clough Ainsworth](/source/Geoffrey_Clough_Ainsworth) (1964–1968)

- [Anthony Johnston](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anthony_Johnston_(mycologist)&action=edit&redlink=1) (1968–1983)

- [David Leslie Hawksworth](/source/David_Leslie_Hawksworth) (1983–1986)

### Director of the International Mycological Institute

- David Leslie Hawksworth (1986–1997)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IMI1993_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IMI1993_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-IMI1993_1-2) Aitchison EM, Hawksworth DL. (1993). *IMI: retrospect and prospect*. Wallingford: CAB International. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85198-886-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85198-886-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CABI_2-0)** ["Our History"](https://www.cabi.org/about-cabi/our-history/). *CABI.org*. Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International. Retrieved February 24, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Kew_3-0)** Press Release [http://www.kew.org/about-kew/press-media/press-releases-kew/fungi-collection-reaches-1-million/](http://www.kew.org/about-kew/press-media/press-releases-kew/fungi-collection-reaches-1-million/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110629205823/http://www.kew.org/about-kew/press-media/press-releases-kew/fungi-collection-reaches-1-million/) 2011-06-29 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National United States Czech Republic Israel Academics CiNii Other IdRef Yale LUX

This article about a mycological organization is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Mycology-org-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3AMycology-org-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Mycology-org-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [International Mycological Institute](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mycological_Institute) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mycological_Institute?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.