Friedrich Wilhelm Zopf

Friedrich(or Friederich)Wilhelm Zopf(12 December 1846 – 24 June 1909) was a well-known Germanbotanistandmycologist. He dedicated to his whole life with fungal biology, particularly in classification of fungi and dye production in fungi and lichens.Besides, his textbook on fungi called “Die pilze in morphologischer, physiologischer, biologischer und systematischer beziehung (Translation: The mushrooms in morphological, physiological, biological and systematic relationship)” in 1890 was also an outstanding work on the subject for many decades.The unicellular achlorophicmicroalgaePrototheca zopfiiis named after him because of his profound suggestions and contributions to Krüger's pioneering work inPrototheca.Thus, his numerous contributions gave him a special status in mycological history.
Wilhelm Zopf was born inRoßlebeninThuringiain 1846. Before going into biological science area, he has been an elementary school teacher inThondorfatMansfeldwhen he was 21-year-old.
In 1874, Wilhelm Zopf decided to leave his teaching position and turned into studying natural sciences at theUniversity of Berlin.
Also in 1874,Gottlob Ludwig RabenhorstpublishedZopfia, which is agenusoffungiin the familyZopfiaceaeand was named after Wilhelm Zopf.
He then received his PhD with a dissertation entitled “Die von Conidienfrüchte von Fumago (Translation: Conidia ofFumago)” at the University of Halle in 1878.
As Wilhelm Zopf obtained his degree, simultaneously, he also went back to Berlin as an adjunct professor teaching at the Agricultural College for a few years. At that time, in 1880, he issued theexsiccataMycotheca MarchicawithPaul Sydowas co-editor.In 1883, he was invited to be a head of the cryptogamic laboratory at theUniversity of Halle. In the period of 1883 to 1899, he made extensive studies onChytridialesand other small aquatic fungi parasitic in algae and small animals. Likewise, he also published an authoritative fungal textbook in which he followed a classification similar in part to that ofJulius Oscar Brefeldbut placedAscomyceteslast in 1890. In this group, he made them went from the simple forms, likeSaccharomyces,Endomyces,Gymnoascaceae, toPezizales. In addition, he recognized the formation ofascogoniain many ascomycetes and even the union of these inPyronema, with club-shaped “pollinodia”, but expressed doubt as to their real sexual function.
In 1884,Heinrich Georg WinterpublishedZopfiellawhich is a genus of fungi within theLasiosphaeriaceaefamily and also named in Zopf's honour.
In 1899, Wilhelm Zopf became a professor and a director of the botanical garden at theUniversity of Münster. He continued the research on fungal biology and systematics. During his work on fungal biology, he became more interested in secondary chemistry of these organisms, particularly the lichens. He published on more general problems related to lichen biology, particularly in the genusCladonia. He died in Münster in 1909, and his name was further commemorated byEdvard Vainioin the naming ofCladonia zopfii(a species of lichen) in 1919.
Lastly,Wilhelm Kirschsteinin 1939 publishedZopfinula(another genus of fungi).
Wilhelm Zopf was the first people to carry out the chemical differences in lichens.In 1907, his book “Die Flechtenstoffe in chemischer, botanischer, pharmakologischer und technischer Beziehung (Translation: The lichen substances in chemical, botanical, pharmacological and technical relationship)” was published. This book contained descriptions of over 150 chemical compounds found in lichens.Little was known about the actual structures of many of those compounds, but his work gave a sounder basis for the use of chemistry in the taxonomy of lichens.
Althoughnematode-trapping fungushave been known since 1839, its predatory habit was first observed by Wilhelm Zopf as well.This recorded observation ofArthrobotrys oligospora’s behavior was attributed to him in 1888. This kind of fungi actively captures small worms, generally classified asnematodesor roundworms.