Frederick Kroeber Sparrow

Frederick Kroeber Sparrow (11 May 1903–October 2 1977) was an American mycologist. He was known for his research on aquatic fungi, and in particular the genus Physoderma, and he produced a well-received monograph in 1943 titled The Aquatic Phycomycetes Exclusive of the Saprolegniacea and Pythium; this was republished in 1960 as Aquatic Phycomycetes. He also earned his undergraduate degree in 1925, and entered Harvard University as a graduate student that year. He obtained a master's degree in 1926 and his PhD in 1929. During his tenure at Harvard, well-known botanists G. Ledyard Stebbins and Adriance S. Foster attended as graduate students. He also had some notable mentors such as Professor Merritt Lyndon Fernald and Professor W. A. Weston Jr. In 1956 he returned to The Botany School in Cam,bridge ,to conduct more research on the aquatic fungi in Europe. In 1967 he became the acting director of the Biological Station at the University of Michigan and, due to his excellent work, was promoted to director in 1968. He even traveled to other universities for periods of time as a visiting professor. He visited the University of Hawaii and University of California Berkeley in 1963 and 1966 respectively, and acted as visiting professor at the University of South Florida and the University of Florida after his retirement. His studies at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute were continued at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Marine Lab during the summers of 1968 and 1972. Sparrow died a few months later, on October 2. The second edition contained updated information on the order Plasmodiophorales, the family Saprolegniaceae, and the genus Physoderma, along with new information on aquatic individuals in the genera Pythium and Phytophthora.

Notable publications Sparrow, F.K. (1971). A general review of biflagellate fungi. In Ainsworth, G.C.; Webster, J. [eds], Abstracts, First International Mycological Congress, Exeter, September 1971 p. 90. [Exeter]; [The Congress]. Sparrow, F.K. (1946). Observations on two chytrids parasitic on phanerogams. I. Physoderma menyanthes de Bary. American Journal of Botany 33: 112–118, 41 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1947). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. II. A preliminary study of the occurrence of ephemeral sporangia in the Physoderma disease of maize. American Journal of Botany 34: 94–97, 17 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1947). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. III. Physoderma claytoniana and an associated parasite. American Journal of Botany 34: 325–329, 17 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1957). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. VII. A Physoderma on Lycopus americanus. American Journal of Botany 44 (8): 661–665, 1 pl. Sparrow, F.K. (1964). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. XIV. Physoderma calami. American Journal of Botany 51 (9): 958–963, 27 figs, 1 table. Sparrow, F.K. (1943). Aquatic Phycomycetes Exclusive of the Saprolegniaceae and Pythium. xix + 785 pp., 1 pl., 69 figs. UK, London; USA, Michigan, Ann Arbor; Oxford University Press; University of Michigan Press. Sparrow, F.K. (1950). The expanding horizons of mycology. Mycologia 42 (6): 683–692, portrait. Sparrow, F.K. (1952). Phycomycetes from the Douglas Lake region of northern Michigan. Mycologia 44 (6): 759–772. Sparrow, F.K. (1953). A new species of Monoblepharella. Mycologia 45 (4): 592–595, 1 fig. Sparrow, F.K. (1956). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. V. The occurrence of Physoderma butomi and P. vagans in the United States. Mycologia 48 (5): 765–766. Sparrow, F.K. (1957). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. VI. Resting spore germination in Physoderma (Urophlyctis) pluriannulatum. Mycologia 49 (3): 426–429, 1 fig. Sparrow, F.K. (1964). A new species of Allomyces. Mycologia 56 (3): 460–461. Sparrow, F.K. (1965). Concerning Physoderma graminis. Mycologia 57 (4): 624–627, 2 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1965). The occurrence of Physoderma in Hawaii, with notes on other Hawaiian phycomycetes. Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata 25 (1-2): 119–143, 78 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1961). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. X. Notes on some species of Physoderma occurring in the Douglas Lake region of northern Michigan. Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters 46: 183–194. Sparrow, F.K. (1976). The present status of classification in biflagellate fungi. In Jones, E.B.G. [ed.], Recent Advances in Aquatic Mycology pp. 213–222. London; Elek Science. Sparrow, F.K. (1952). A contribution to our knowledge of the Phycomycetes of Cuba. I. Revista de la Sociedad Cubana de Botánica 9 (2): 34–40, 23 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1952). A contribution to our knowledge of the Phycomycetes of Cuba. II. Revista de la Sociedad Cubana de Botánica 9 (3): 68–74, 23 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1952). A contribution to our knowledge of the Phycomycetes of Cuba. III. Revista de la Sociedad Cubana de Botánica 9 (4): 104–108, 23 figs. Sparrow, F.K. (1927). Occurrence of Pythium gracile in the United States. Rhodora 29: 37–39. Sparrow, F.K. (1951). Podochytrium cornutum n.sp., the cause of an epidemic on the planktonic diatom Stephanodiscus. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 34 (2): 170–173, 1 fig. Sparrow, F.K. (1953). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. IV. Physoderma aponogetonia sp.nov. parasitic on Aponogeton. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 36 (4): 347–348, 1 fig. Sparrow, F.K. (1957). A further contribution to the phycomycete flora of Great Britain. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 40 (4): 523–537, 2 figs. Sparrow, F.K.; Barr, M.E. (1955). Additions to the phycomycete flora of the Douglas Lake region. I. New taxa and records. Mycologia 47 (4): 546–556, 27 figs. Sparrow, F.K.; Griffin, J.E. (1961). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. XII. Further studies of Physoderma claytonianum var. sparrowii. Arch. Microbiol. 40 (3): 275–282, 18 figs. Sparrow, F.K.; Griffin, J.E. (1964). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. XV. Host range and species concept studies in Physoderma. Archiv für Mikrobiologie 49 (2): 103–111, 3 tables. Sparrow, F.K.; Griffin, J.E.; Johns, R.M. (1961). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. XI. A Physoderma on Agropyron repens. American Journal of Botany 48 (9): 850–858, 23 figs. Sparrow, F.K.; Johns, R.M. (1965). Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of phanerogams. XVI. Notes on Physoderma from Scirpeae. Archiv für Mikrobiologie 51 (4): 351–364, 15 figs, 1 table. Sparrow, F.K.; Paterson, R.A. (1955). A note concerning Rhizidiopsis and Podochytrium. Mycologia 47 (2): 272–274. Sparrow, F.K.; Paterson, R.A.; Johns, R.M. (1965). Additions to the phycomycete flora of the Douglas Lake region. V. New or interesting fungi. Papers from the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters 50 (1): 115–123, 1 fig. Sparrow, F.K. (1933) Observations on operculate chytridiaceous fungi collected in the vicinity of Ithaca, N. Y. Amer. J. Bot. 20: 63-7 1933 Sparrow, F.K. (1933) Inoperculate chytridiaceous organisms collected in the vicinity of Ithaca, N. Y., with notes on other aquatic fungi. Mycologia 25: 531-53