Mar 21 2019
The fungal herbarium of George E. Massee was acquired by NY in 1905 and 1910. Massee described many new species, from all over the world, but unfortunately did not always clearly designate (or keep!) type specimens. This sort of carelessness was described in an obituary by fellow mycologist John Ramsbottom (1917), "though often brilliant he was often careless: if he had had any capacity whatever for taking pains he would have been a genius."
But many of the specimens from the Massee herbarium are accompanied by very detailed watercolor paintings, which beautifully capture the essence of the fungi.