Kálmán Vánky

Kálmán Géza Vánky (15 June 1930 – 18 October 2021) was a Hungarian mycologist with Swedish and Hungarian citizenship, who lived in Germany. He was considered to be the worldwide authority on the subject of smut fungi and has dominated the taxonomic study of Ustilaginomycetes for at least the past four decades.

Professional mycology In 1986 Vánky obtained a one-year DFG-scholarship in Germany and worked in the field of smut fungus taxonomy at the University of Tübingen, Institute of Botany, Department of Special Botany and Mycology (with Prof. Franz Oberwinkler). As the scholarship was extended successively, he decided to focus his career on mycology rather than medicine. He continued to work at the university until his retirement in 1995.

Death Vánky died on 18 October 2021, at the age of 91.

Publications By 2014 Vánky had published 232 scientific papers and 10 books on smut fungi. His monograph Smut Fungi of the World, published in 2012 by (APS Press) was described as “a culmination of more than 50 years of dedicated work and passion for smut fungi.” The nearly 1500 page monograph has been described as the "Holy Book of Smut Fungi", because it comprises the description of the 1700 known species with their synonyms, important literature, their host plants and over 3.500 illustrations of which 650 are the author's drawings of smutted plants.

The third edition of his Illustrated Genera of Smut Fungi was published in 2013. In this edition, 104 recognized genera of smut fungi are presented, described and illustrated, compared to the second edition, in which 77 genera are identified.

Collections Both before and after retirement, Vánky travelled widely, collecting and investigating smut fungi in about 55 countries all over the world. The collecting trips were very often combined with national or international workshops, conferences or congresses in the field of mycology, where he was lecturer or speaker. Between 1989 and 2009 his German wife, Christine, helped him in collecting and taking photos of smutted plants.

Over 60 years Vánky amassed the largest smut fungus collection in the world, Herbarium Ustilaginales Vánky (HUV), containing over 22,000 samples. In August 2013 it was relocated to the Queensland Plant Pathology Herbarium, Brisbane, Australia (‘BRIP’), and placed at the disposal of the mycological community.

Vánky lectured in Hungary. He donated a complete set (no. 1–1350) of his Smut fungus exsiccata series Ustilaginales exsiccata, issued between 1975 and 2009, and several hundreds of duplicates, between them numerous precious isotypes, as well as all of his smut fungus books and publications to the Hungarian Natural History Museum.

Interviews, awards and honours In June 1996 an interview with Vánky entitled "" (A world travelling Székely botanist) was published in (The World of Nature). The Romanian journal (Transylvanian Mycologist) published two interviews and a laudation on the Székely-Hungarian scientist. In 2012 he was awarded the "Pázmány Dénes Award" of the 'Kálmán László Mycological Society', Transylvania (Romania). and in 2014 awarded with "Arany János medal" of the 'Hungarian Academy of Science'.

Two new genera of smut fungi, Vankya and Kalmanago, was named in his honour and several new species Orphanomyces vankyi Savile (1974), Anthracoidea vankyi Nannfeldt (1977), Uromyces vankyorum R. Berndt (2002), Tilletia vankyi Carris & Castlebury (2007) and Macalpinomyces vankyi Y.M. Li, R.G. Shivas, McTaggart & L. Cai (2017) were named for him.

He became honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the Biological Sciences section in 2001.