Heinrich Anton de Bary was a German surgeon, botanist, microbiologist, and mycologist .
He is considered a founding father of plant pathology (phytopathology) as well as the founder of modern mycology. His extensive and careful studies of the life history of fungi and contribution to the understanding of algae and higher plants established landmarks in biology.
Heinrich Anton de Bary
Anton de Bary (c. 1880) surrounded by students in a photo studio with a coulisse of the Strasbourg Cathedral in the backdrop.
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and infection. Mycology branches into the field of phytopathology, the study of plant diseases. The two disciplines are closely related, because the vast majority of plant pathogens are fungi. A biologist specializing in mycology is called a mycologist.
Mushrooms are considered a kind of fungal reproductive organ.
Group photograph taken at a meeting of the British Mycological Society in 1913