Aino Henssen
Aino Marjatta Henssen (12 April 1925, Elberfeld – 29 August 2011, Marburg[1]), was a German lichenologist and systematist. Her father, Gottfried Henssen, was a folklorist and her mother was Finnish.[2]
Education and career
Henssen began her studies in Biology in Freiburg, Germany, before continuing in Marburg, Germany. She obtained her doctorate in 1953, which focused on the physiology of Spirodela polyrhiza. In 1963, she became the curator of the Botanisches Institut at Philipps-Universität in Marburg, Germany. Following her habilitation in 1965, she was appointed in 1970 to the position of Associate Professor for thallophyte studies. She retired in 1990.[3]
Contributions
Henssen made many advancements to the taxonomic knowledge of cyanolichens and wrote a textbook on the subject. This book reorganized the taxonomic classification and connected lichen families to evolutionary clades. She later focused on actinomycetes during her postdoctoral at the Institute for Bacteriology in Berlin, leading to the discovery of two new genera, Pseudonocardia Henssen and Thermomonospora Henssen.[4] She was passionate towards her field work, which took her around the world to collect specimens. Over the years, Henssen published many scientific articles on topics relating to lichens, fungi and the systematics of these groups.
Recognition
Henssen was given a scholarship from the American Association of University Women. In 1992, she was honored with an Acharius Medal.[5]
Eponymy
Several lichens have been named to honour Henssen, including: Ainoa which is a genus of lichens in the family Baeomycetaceae Lumbsch & I.Schmitt (2001).[6] And also the species of; Caloplaca hensseniana Kalb (1990); Diploschistes hensseniae Lumbsch & Elix (1985); Gyalidea hensseniae Hafellner, Poelt & Vězda (1990); Lecanora hensseniae Vänskä (1986); Nephroma hensseniae P.James & F.J.White (1987); Parmotrema hensseniae Krog (1990); Rhizocarpon hensseniae Brodo (1990); Rimularia hensseniae Hertel & Rambold (1990); Stephanocyclos henssenianus Hertel (1983); and Xanthoparmelia hensseniae O.Blanco, A.Crespo, Elix, D.Hawksw. & Lumbsch (2004).[7]
See also
References
- ^ Aino Henssen Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine on hs.fi (finnish)
- ^ Aino Henssen (in Finnish) Helsingin Sanomat
- ^ Kärnefelt, Ingvar; Scholz, Peter; Seaward, Mark R. D.; Thell, Arne (2012). "Lichenology in Germany: past, present and future" (PDF). Schlechtendalia. 23: 1-90. "Short biographies of 104 lichenologists who have played a key role in the development of German lichenology are provided." ("Aino Henssen" on pp. 41–43)
- ^ Lumbsch, H. Thorsten; Döring, Heidi (January 14, 2012). "A tribute to Aino Marjatta Henssen (1925-2011)". The Lichenologist. 44 (1): 1–4. doi:10.1017/S002428291100079X – via Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Jahns, H. M. "Acharius Medallists. Aino Henssen". International Association of Lichenology (lichenology.org).
- ^ Brodo, Irwin M.; Lendemer, James C. (2015). "A revision of the saxicolous, esorediate species of Ainoa and Trapelia (Baeomycetaceae and Trapeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) in North America, with the description of two new species". The Bryologist. 118 (4): 385–399. doi:10.1639/0007-2745-119.1.385.
- ^ Hertel, Hannes; Gärtner, Georg; Lőkös, László (2017). "Forscher an Österreichs Flechtenflora" [Investigators of Austria's lichen flora] (PDF). Stapfia (in German). 104 (2): 60.
- ^ International Plant Names Index. Henssen.
External links
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikispecies-logo.svg/34px-Wikispecies-logo.svg.png)
- Webarchive template wayback links
- Articles with Finnish-language sources (fi)
- CS1 German-language sources (de)
- Articles with short description
- Botanists with author abbreviations
- AC with 0 elements
- 20th-century German botanists
- German lichenologists
- 1925 births
- 2011 deaths
- Acharius Medal recipients
- German people of Finnish descent
- 20th-century German women scientists
- People from Elberfeld
- Scientists from Wuppertal