{{EngvarB|date=May 2022}} {{short description|Australian botanist/lichenologist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}{{infobox scientist/wikidata|fetchwikidata=ALL|alma_mater=Monash University}}{{scholia|Q21339388}}'''Rex Bertram Filson''' (born 1930) is an Australian lichenologist who made major contributions to knowledge of lichens in Australia and Antarctica.

Early in his career Filson worked as a carpenter in various places around Australia, and from 1961 to 1963 was employed as a carpenter by the Australian Antarctic Division. This was the start of his career as a lichenologist.

In 1964, he was employed by the Royal Botanic Gardens. Employment with the Victorian Department of Crown Lands and Survey followed (1964–1988), first as a seed-collector and finally as senior botanist.<ref name="eos">{{Cite web|last=Walker|first=R.|year=1997|title=Filson, Rex Bertram – Biographical entry – Encyclopedia of Australian Science|url=https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P002347b.htm|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=17 December 2020|website=eoas.info|publisher=The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre|language=en-gb}}</ref> During this period, he acquired a Master of Science (1979) and a Doctor of Science (1988) from Monash University.<ref name="eos" /> In 1970, Filson was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to compare northern hemisphere with Australian lichens.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cohn |first1=Helen |title=History of the National Herbarium of Victoria |date=2009–2012 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne |page=Appendix 2B |language=English}}</ref> The National Herbarium of Victoria holds the majority of Filson's collections, over 15,000 specimens, with duplicates distributed around Australian Herbaria including AD, BRI, CANB, HO, NSW and PERTH, with several in overseas herbaria such s MSK, GZU, F and UPS.<ref>{{cite web |title=Filson Collections |url=https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?q=collector_text%3A%22Filson%2C+R.B.%22#tab_recordsView |website=The Australasian Virtual Herbarium |access-date=13 December 2021}}</ref> In 1975, Filson edited the exsiccata ''Lichenes Antarctici exsiccati''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lichenes Antarctici exsiccati: IndExs ExsiccataID=490585207 |website=IndExs – Index of Exsiccatae |publisher=Botanische Staatssammlung München |url=https://www.botanischestaatssammlung.de/DatabaseClients/IndExs/Exsiccatae_IndExs_Details.jsp?ExsiccataID=490585207 |access-date=29 July 2024}}</ref>

Filson Nunatak in Antarctica is named in his honour,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Antarctica Detail: FILSON NUNATAK|url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=GNISPQ:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:4903|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=17 December 2020|website=geonames.usgs.gov}}</ref> as are the lichen genera ''Filsoniana'' and ''Rexiella''.<ref name="Kondratyuk et al. 2013">{{cite journal |last1=Kondratyuk |first1=S. |last2=Jeong |first2=M.-H. |last3=Yu |first3=N.-H. |last4=Kärnefelt |first4=I. |last5=Thell |first5=A. |last6=Elix |first6=J. |last7=Kim |first7=J. |last8=Kondratyuk |first8=A. |last9=Hur |first9=J.-S. |title=Four new genera of teloschistoid lichens (Teloschistaceae, Ascomycota) based on molecular phylogeny |journal=Acta Botanica Hungarica |volume=55 |issue=3–4 |year=2013 |doi=10.1556/abot.55.2013.3-4.8 |pages=251–274}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Val |url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132874317 |title=Common Ground: Who's who in New Zealand botanical names. Supplement Two: Who's who in New Zealand botanical names. Supplement Two |date=2023-01-01 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stenroos |first1=Soili |last2=Pino-Bodas |first2=Raquel |last3=Ahti |first3=Teuvo |date=2019-08-06 |title=Rexiella, a new name for Rexia S. Stenroos, Pino-Bodas & Ahti (2018), non Rexia D. A. Casamatta, S. R. Gomez & J. R. Johansen (2006) |url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q134683946 |journal=Cladistics |volume=35 |issue=5 |pages=603 |doi=10.1111/CLA.12401}}</ref>

==Standard author abbreviation== {{botanist|Filson|inline=true}}

==Selected taxa== An advanced search of the MycoBank database shows that he authored some 90 fungi,<ref name=myco>{{cite web|url=https://www.mycobank.org/page/Advanced%20names%20search|website=mycobank.org|title=Search for taxa with (author contains "Filson")|accessdate=17 December 2020}}</ref> including: * ''Buellia foecunda'' Filson<ref name="if">{{Cite web|title=Index Fungorum – Names Record ''Buellia foecunda''|url=http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=344748|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=18 December 2020|website=indexfungorum.org}}</ref><ref name="filson">{{cite book|author1=Filson, R.B.|title=The lichens and mosses of Mac. Robertson Land|date=1966|publisher=Dept. of External Affairs Australia, Antarctic Division|volume=82|location=Melbourne|pages=34|authorlink=Rex Bertram Filson}}</ref> * ''Heterodea beaugleholei'' Filson<ref name="myco1">{{Cite web|title=Mycobank: ''Cladia beaugleholei''|url=https://www.mycobank.org/page/Name%20details%20page/field/Mycobank%20#/563253|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=17 December 2020|website=mycobank.org}}</ref><ref name=cq1>{{Cite Q|Q99857872|pages=18}}</ref> (now ''Cladia beaugleholei'')<ref name=myco1/> *''Xanthoparmelia elixii'' Filson<ref name="mb3">{{Cite web|title=Mycobank: ''Xanthoparmelia elixii''|url=https://www.mycobank.org/page/Name%20details%20page/field/Mycobank%20#/106549|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=17 December 2020|website=mycobank.org}}</ref><ref name=rbf>{{cite Q|Q104215500|pages= 203}}</ref> {{see also|:Category:Taxa named by Rex Bertram Filson}}

== References == {{reflist}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Filson, Rex Bertram}} Category:Living people Category:1930 births Category:Australian lichenologists Category:Monash University alumni Category:Muelleria (journal) editors Category:Australian Botanical Liaison Officers