CABI Bioscience Databases

CABI Bioscience (incorporating IMI) maintain a number of internationally important databases. Here you can search, on-line, a number of these databases.

The world database of fungal names (IndexFungorum; aka funindex) contains over 345,000 names of fungi (including yeast, lichens, chromistan fungi, protozoan fungi and fossil forms) at species level and below. It has been derived from a number of published lists including Saccardo’s Sylloge Fungorum (contributed by SBML, USDA), Petrak’s Lists, Saccardo’s Omissions, Lamb’s Index, Zahlbruckner’s Catalogue of Lichens (comprehensive for names at species level only but with an increasing number of names of infraspecific taxa) and CABI’s Index of Fungi. A new collaboration between Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) and CABI Bioscience will see a significant increase in the information content in Index Fungorum.

A name record will usually have a reference to an entry in one of the bibliographic catalogues cited above and, in addition, more recent records from the Index of Fungi will have the full citation from the source publication (excluding those from the last 5 years). Author citations conform with the Brummitt & Powell standard (now searchable on line through IPNI), or are indicated '{?}' thus. Many records include information on taxonomic synonymy and publication details derived from numerous acknowledged sources. You may search the database by either the species name or the specific epithet.

The Bibliography of Systematic Mycology provided a survey of the literature encompassing the biodiversity, classification, distribution, evolution, identification, nomenclature, phylogeny, systematics and taxonomy of fungi (including those groups traditionally treated as fungi but now better classified in other kingdoms). The printed BSM provides full bibliographic details of relevant literature from books, conference proceedings, monographs and serials arranged under broad taxonomic categories, with author and generic indexes, and is published twice a year, cumulating into a volume over five years. Some 1500-2000 items per annum give comprehensive cover of both the pure and applied systematic mycological literature, from the level of kingdom right down to population. A back-file of these records covering the period from 1986 is now searchable on-line using genus or author names.

The Dictionary of the Fungi (currently 9th edition) published by CABI Publishing also contains the current consensus on the fungal taxonomic hierarchy to the rank of genus. Here you may search the database for the status of generic names, or walk down the hierarchy from the rank of Kingdom. The entries for each genus generally include authors and place of publication together with the type species and other data.

A recent addition is the database of family names which includes authors, place of publication and type genus. This database will eventually be expanded to include all supra-familial ranks.

CABI Bioscience is coordinating the fungal component of the Species2000 project; for more information regarding this global initiative visit their website. Here you may search a small but growing number of taxonomically complete datasets - global species databases. Please contact Paul Kirk if you have any datasets you would like to see incorporated (with acknowledgements).

All these databases need to be improved and updated in terms of data content. Please contact Paul Kirk if you have any additions or suggested changes.

The database structures have been developed by Jerry Cooper and Paul Kirk and the web interface by Jerry Cooper. Please contact Jerry if you have any problems with pages or database searches.

Other publication from CABI Publishing relating to mycology are Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria and Distribution Maps of Plant Diseases. Some of these products will become available on-line.

NB. Searching the databases requires 'cookies' to be enabled on your browser.

Search the IndexFungorum Database

Search the Bibliography of Systematic Mycology Database

Search the Dictionary Taxonomic Hierarchy

Search the Family Names Database

Search the Species2000 Global Species Databases