science

George Edward Massee

George Edward Massee is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand George Edward Massee rather than just read about it. In short: George Edward Massee (20 December 1845 – 16 February 1917) was an English mycologist, plant pathologist, and botanist. Background and education George Massee was born in Scampston, East Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a farmer.

Key takeaways

George Edward Massee belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect George Edward Massee to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of George Edward Massee from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

George Edward Massee (20 December 1845 – 16 February 1917) was an English mycologist, plant pathologist, and botanist.

Background and education George Massee was born in Scampston, East Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a farmer. He was educated at York School of Art and claimed to have attended Downing College, Cambridge, though no record exists of him in the university or College Records.

South America and the Foreign Legion Massee had an early interest in natural history, publishing an article on British woodpeckers at the age of 16 and compiling a portfolio of botanical paintings. Through the influence of Richard Spruce, a family relative, he was able to travel on a botanical expedition to Panama and Ecuador, where, despite considerable hardships, he collected orchids and other plants. On his return, Massee joined the French Foreign Legion, hoping to see combat in the Franco-Prussian War, but, the war being almost over, he was prevailed upon to return home to the farm. He had nonetheless gained a "4th Chasseurs" tattoo on his arm as a result of his brief military adventure.

Mycological career Back in Yorkshire, Massee developed a particular interest in fungi which he illustrated, his paintings attracting the attention of M.C. Cooke, the first head of mycology at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Having moved to London, he began a series of ambitious publications on fungi, whilst undertaking public lectures, and also working briefly at the Natural History Museum. When Cooke retired from Kew in 1893, Massee replaced him as Principal Assistant in Cryptogams, a post he retained till he himself retired in 1915. From 1904, Massee's assistant at Kew was A.D. Cotton who worked principally on the algae. In 1910 Elsie Wakefield also assisted Massee with the fungi, taking over his position after 1915. George Massee helped found the British Mycological Society in 1896 and was elected its first President, serving in that capacity from 1896 to 1898. He was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour in 1902. He was President of the Quekett Microscopical Club from 1899 to 1903. During his career, he published over 250 scientific and popular books, papers, and articles on fungi, myxomycetes, plant pathology, and natural history. He was editor of the cryptogamic journal Grevillea for its final two volumes. Massee also described a substantial number of new fungal species, but (despite working in an herbarium) did not always keep type specimens. As a result, all too many of his new species are now relegated to lists of nomina dubia (names of uncertain application). Most of the collections he did retain are now in the mycological herbarium at Kew. Part of Massee's personal herbarium was, however, sold to the New York Botanical Garden in 1907. The fungal genera of Masseeella, (in 1895) and Masseea was named after him (in 1899), as were several species, including Acremonium masseei, Ascobolus masseei, Entoloma masseei, and Ocellaria masseeana. Beatrix Potter, whose mycological interests he encouraged, called him "a very pleasant kind gentleman." His colleague John Ramsbottom said of him that "though often brilliant he was often careless: if he had had any capacity whatever for taking pains he would have been a genius."

Family Massee's daughter Ivy assisted with the creation of his 1911 book British Fungi by illustrating 40 coloured plates for the publication. His son Arthur Morel Massee, O.B.E., D.Sc., F.R.E.S., was an entomologist.

Selected publications Massee, G.E. (1892). A monograph of the Mycogastres. London: Methuen Massee, G.E. (1892–1895). The British fungus flora, Vols 1–4. London: George Bell Massee, G.E. (1902). European fungus flora: Agaricaceae London: Duckworth Massee, G.E. & C. Crossland (1905). The fungus flora of Yorkshire. London: A. Brown Massee, G.E. (1910). Diseases of cultivated plants and trees London: Macmillan Massee, G.E. & I. Massee (1913). Mildews, rusts, and smuts London: Dulau & Co

References

External links Media related to George Edward Massee at Wikimedia Commons

Works by George Massee at Project Gutenberg Works by or about George Edward Massee at the Internet Archive

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with George Edward Massee

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what George Edward Massee claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to George Edward Massee before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about George Edward Massee ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of George Edward Massee

In research: George Edward Massee appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses George Edward Massee in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: George Edward Massee is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1845 births, 1917 deaths, 19th-century English botanists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for George Edward Massee outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “George Edward Massee” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study George Edward Massee in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what George Edward Massee means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain George Edward Massee out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is George Edward Massee in simple terms?

George Edward Massee (20 December 1845 – 16 February 1917) was an English mycologist, plant pathologist, and botanist. Background and education George Massee was born in Scampston, East Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a farmer.

Why does George Edward Massee matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study George Edward Massee?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on George Edward Massee.