Description:Leif’s passion for polypores started with an accidental collection of a bracket fungi which then developed to a lifestyle. In the course of collecting polypores for the last 40 years Leif has visited over 70 different countries resulting in 50 000+ collections in the Oslo Fungarium. Twelve African PhD students have stayed in Oslo under Leif’s supervision which in turn resulted in numerous expeditions and field work in all types of tropical forests as well as other remote places where no collections have been made such as Tierra Fuego and St. Helena to mention a few.   About Leif Ryvarden:Leif Ryvarden was born 9 August 1935 in Bergen Norway then studied to become a civil engineer in organic chemistry followed by a masters in Botany and then a PhD in mycology. After studying for one year at Kew Gardens London Leif became a professor in mycology at the university of Oslo a position he has held for the last 30 years. Leif has written several field guides for tropical poroid fungi besides some 300 scientific publications. He’s the co-author with Robert Gilbertson of North American Polypores and European Polypores key reference works for anyone interested in polypores. The last to come will be Poroid fungi of North America a new volume with some 200 color pictures.