Elias (Magnus) Fries

Botanist, born in Femsjö, SW Sweden. He studied at the University of Lund, then became professor at Uppsala, and keeper of the botanic garden there. He wrote on fungi, lichens, and the flora of Scandinavia, and introduced a classificatory system for fungi which, apart from a few minor exceptions, is still valid. The genus Freesia is named after him.

Elias Magnus Fries (August 15, 1794 – February 8, 1878) was a Swedish mycologist and botanist born at Femsjö in Småland.

In 1811 he entered the University of Lund where, in 1814, he was appointed an associate professorship in botany, and in 1824, became a full professor.

Fries is considered to be, after Persoon, founding father of modern mushroom taxonomy (see mycology).

When he died, The Times commented: "His very numerous works, especially on fungi and lichens, give him a position as regards those groups of plants only comparable to that of Linnaeus." col C)

Fries was succeeded in the borgströmian professorship by John Areschoug, after whom Thore Fries, the son of Elias, held the chair.