Nylander, William (1822-1899)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Nylander Herbarium (H-NYL) is another major collection that is kept separate. It comprises about 52 000 specimens of lichens (and some other fungi) from all over the world and includes an abundance of type specimens. The collection was received from the Finnish (- French) lichenologist William Nylander (1822-1899). Initially, Nylander was a medical doctor, then chose a career as an entomologist and finally focused on botany and lichens. He was appointed as the first Professor of Botany at our university in 1857 (then Imperial Alexander University), but resigned in 1863 and relocated to Paris, where he continued as a freelance scientist. Nylander's lichenological publications comprise over 300 titles and 4 000 pages and he described approximately 3 000 lichen taxa.

William Nylander (1822 – 1899) was a Finnish botanist and entomologist. Nylander taught at the University of Helsinki for a number of years before later moving to Paris, where he was to live until his death in 1899. He was a very important figure in the field of lichenology.

Nylander pioneered the technique of determining the taxonomy of lichens by the use of chemical reagents, such as tinctures of iodine and hypochlorite, still used by lichenologists to this day.

Nylander was also the first to realise the effect of atmospheric pollution on the growth of lichens, an important discovery that paved the way for the use of lichens to detect pollution and determine the cleanness of air.

PUBLICATIONS

 * Nylander, W. 1846a. Adnotationes in monographiam formicarum borealium Europae. Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 2: 875-944


 * Nylander, W. 1846b. Additamentum adnotationum in monographiam formicarum borealium Europae. Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 2 2: 1041-1062


 * Nylander, W. 1849 [1848]. Additamentum alterum adnotationum in monographiam formicarum borealium. Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 3: 25-48


 * Nylander, W. 1856b. Synopsis des Formicides de France et d'Algérie. Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool. (4) 5: 51-109


 * Nylander, W. 1857 [1856]. [Untitled. Introduced by: "M. L. Fairmaire communique la note suivant de M. Nylander sur les Formicides du Mont-Dore, et la Société en décide l'impression dans le Bulletin."]. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. (Bull.) (3)4:lxxviii-lxxix.