Veli Räsänen

Veli Johannes Paavo Bartholomeus Räsänen (24 August 1888 – 16 July 1953) was a Finnish lichenologist who made contributions to the study and documentation of Nordic and Baltic lichen funga. As a lecturer at various agricultural institutions and the University of Kuopio, he published extensive systematic and floristic works on lichens in Finland, Estonia, and the Petsamo region, including his comprehensive 1951 guide Suomen jäkäläkasvio (Finnish Lichens). Räsänen curated two major lichen exsiccatae collections, compiling over 1,750 specimens between 1935 and 1952, and described numerous previously unknown lichen taxa. His influence on the field is reflected in several lichen species and two genera named in his honour, and his work with mentor Edvard Vainio helped establish Finland's strong tradition in lichenology.

Early life and education

Veli Räsänen was born on 24 August 1888 in Simo, Finland.

Räsänen apprenticed with Edvard Vainio at the University of Turku, and eagerly collected lichens during his student years. His first publications were about beard lichens and other interesting lichen finds. His first major dissertation, published in 1926, concerned the lichen flora in North Ostrobothnia. His dissertation for the licentiate degree was titled ("About lichen locations and lichen vegetation in western northern Finland"). This work was followed by several extensive works of mainly systematic and floristic content: about Estonian lichens (1931), about the lichen flora of (1932); about the lichens in the coastal areas of northern Lake Ladoga (1939), and on the lichens of the Petsamo Province (1943). In Kuopio he compiled the exsiccata , 30 fascicles during the years 1946–1952, comprising a total of 750 issues (25 issues in each fascicle, in the Helsinki exsiccata 50 numbers per fascicle).

Räsänen tried to arouse interest in studying and collecting lichens among younger people. In this respect, mention should be made of his novice book ("Finnish lichens") (1951), comprising 158 pages and 16 paintings.