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

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. In 1834 he became professor borgströmianus of practical economy (from 1851 "botany and practical economy") at Uppsala University.

Fries is considered to be, after Persoon, founding father of modern mushroom taxonomy (see mycology). His taxonomy of mushrooms was influenced by German romantics (see Goethe). He utilized spore color and arrangement of the hymenophore (pores, gills, teeth etc.) as major taxonomic characteristics.

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

External link

• Biography from Nordisk familjebok (in Swedish)
• Elias Magnus Fries at Illinois Mycological Association