STEVEN L. MILLER

Dr. Miller is the curator of the Wilhelm Solheim Mycological Herbarium and specializes in the natural history of large fleshy fungi, including aspects of their evolutionary biology, population genetics, biogeography and systematics.  Dr. Miller's recent research interest concerns the molecular systematics of fungi in the Russuloid lineage (Basidiomycetes), especially the genera Russula and Lactarius, and a comparative biogeography of these fungi worldwide.   His lab continues to investigate the taxonomy and biodiversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the Rocky Mountains. Recent initiatives include the phylogeography of the Russula brevipes species complex based on RPB2, ATP6, EF1A, and ITS; generation of an ITS sequence database with over 1200 taxa of Russula and Lactarius; completion of a DNA sequence database for 106 species of ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with lodgepole pine;  an in-depth analysis of the contribution of basidiospores to the population genetics of several species of late stage ectomycorrhizal fungi; a study of the population biology of fairy rings, and a study of a mysterious fungus that grows and decomposes wood under the snowpack.  Check out the Mycology Lab Website for additional information on the people and their projects.

Awards:

1991  Distinguished Alumnus Award, Central Wyoming College.
1991  Outstanding techniques publication, Environmental Protection Agency.
1997  Meritorious award for teaching, College of Arts and Sciences.
2001  Extraordinary Merit in Research, College of Arts and Sciences
 
 
 

Courses taught at UW:

Mycology  BOT 4300
Fungal Taxonomy and Systematics  BOT 5390
Fungal Physiology and Ecology  BOT 5370
Biology of Plants and Fungi  LIFE 2023
Cultivation of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms  BOT 4330
Plants and Civilization  BOT 3100
 
 
 
 
 

Select publications:

• Nuytinck J, A Verbeken and SL Miller.  2007.  Worldwide phylogeny of Lactarius section Deliciosi inferred from ITS and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene sequences.  Mycologia 99: 820-832.
  
• Miller, SL., E. Larsson, K-H Larsson, A. Verbeken and J. Nuytinck.  2006.  Perspectives in the new Russulales.  Mycologia 98: 960-970.
  
• Jorinde Nuytinck, Steven L. Miller & Annemieke Verbeken. 2006. A taxonomical treatment of the North and Central American species in Lactarius sect. Deliciosi.  Mycotaxon 96: 261-307.
  
• Smith ME, JM Trappe, DM Rizzo and SL Miller. 2006.  Gymnomyces xerophilus sp. nov. (sequestrate Russulaceae), an ectomycorrhizal associate of Quercus in California. Mycological Research 110: 575-582.
  
• Das, K., S. L. Miller and J. R. Sharma.  2006.  Russula in Himalaya 2: Four new taxa.  Mycotaxon 95: 205-215
  
• Bergemann, Sarah E., Greg W. Douhan, Matteo Garbelotto, Steven L. Miller.  2006.  No evidence of population structure across three isolated subpopulations of Russula brevipes in an oak/pine woodland.   New Phytologist 170:177-184.
  
• Das, K., S. L. Miller, J. R. Sharma, P. Sharma and R. P. Bhatt.  2005.  Russula in Himalaya I: A new species of subgenus Amoenula.  Mycotaxon 94: 85-88.
  
• Bergemann, S. E., S. L. Miller and M. Garbelotto.  2005.  Microsatellite loci from Russula brevipes, a common ectomycorrhizal associate of several tree species in North America.  Molecular Ecology Notes 5: 472-474.
  
• Miller, S. L. and D. Mitchell.  2004.  Hypogeous fungi from the southeastern United States.  III.  The genus Macowanites.  Mycotaxon 89: 125-133.
  
• Miller, S. L.  2004.  New and interesting species of Russula from the southeastern United States 1.  Russula billsii.  Mycotaxon 89: 33-40.
  
• Miller, S. L. and B. Buyck.  2002.  Molecular phylogeny of the genus Russula in Europe with a comparison of modern infrageneric classifications.  Mycological Research 106: 259-276.
• Miller, S. L., M. C. Aime and T. W. Henkel.  2002.  Russulaceae from the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana. I.  New species of pleurotoid Lactarius.  Mycologia 94: 545-553.
• Bergemann, S. E. and S. L. Miller.  2002.  Size, distribution, and persistence of genets in local populations of the late-stage ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete, Russula brevipes. New Phytologist 156: 313-320.
• Miller, S. L., T. M. McClean, J. Walker and B. Buyck.  2001.  A molecular phylogeny of the Russulaceae including agaricoid, gasteroid and pleurotoid taxa.  Mycologia 93: 344-354.
• Henkel, T. and S. L. Miller.  2000. Systematics of pleurotoid Russulaceae from Guyana and Japan, with notes on their ectomycorrhizal status. Mycologia 92: 1119--1132.

• Miller, S. L. and T. Lebel.  1999.  Hypogeous fungi from the southeastern United States.  II.  The genus Zelleromyces. Mycotaxon 52: 15-25.
• Miller, S. L.  1999.  A field key to common hypogeous basidiomycetes of North America.  McIlvainea 14: 8-29.
• Miller, S. L., T. M. McClean, N. L. Stanton and S. E. Williams. 1998. Mycorrhization, physiognomy and first-year survivability of conifer seedlings following natural fire in Grand Teton National Park. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 28: 115-122.
• Moore, T. A., J. C. Shearer and S. L. Miller. 1996. Fungal origin of oxidised plant material in the Palangkaraya peat deposit, Kalimantan Tengah, Indonesia: Implications for "inertinite" formation in coal. International Journal of Coal Geology 30: 1-23.
• Miller, S. L. 1995. Functional diversity in fungi. Canadian Journal of Botany 73, Supplement 1: 50-57.
• Miller, S. L., P. Torres and T. M. McClean. 1994. Persistence of basidiospores and sclerotia of ectomycorrhizal fungi and Morchellain soil. Mycologia 86: 89-95.
• Miller, S. L., P. Torres and T. M. McClean. 1993. Basidiospore viability and germination in ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic basidiomycetes. Mycological Research 97: 141-149.
• Miller, S. L., C. D. Koo and R. J. Molina.  1991.  Characterization of red alder ectomycorrhizae -- a preface to monitoring belowground ecological responses.  Canadian Journal of Botany  69: 516-531.
• Miller, S. L.  1988.  A systematic evaluation of basidiospore symmetry and tegumentation in hypogeous and gasteroid Russulales.  Canadian Journal of Botany 66: 2561-2573.
• Miller, S. L. and O. K. Miller, Jr.  1988.  Spore release in hypogeous, gasteroid and agaricoid Russulales.  Transactions of the British Mycological Society 90: 513-526.
• Miller, S. L.  1988.  Early basidiospore formation in Lactarius lignyotellus. Mycologia 80: 99-107.
• Miller, S. L.  1986.  Hypogeous fungi from the southeastern United States.  I.  The genus Rhizopogon. Mycotaxon 27: 193-218.