Overview: Brief Introduction to Fungal Atlases in China

Throughout human history, perceiving nature by using images, is one of the most immediate, convenient and practical methods of cognition. Likely, it should be the most complete and accurate, authoritative and systematic way of depicting an object. Although there are some minor differences among pictorial book, atlas and illustrated flora, they are common in the using of images as the main body, with textual descriptions and systematic editing. As compared with images, pictorials, graphics and even a collection of illustrations, they are more comprehensive, systematic and accurate, and more in nature of containing intense information of both images and texts, rich and authoritative materials and full, powerful functions. There are all kinds of tool books, covering all topics, from heaven to earth, with nothing outside of them. Fungi, especially macrofungi, being so magnificent, delicate, spectacular, mysteriously and magically wonderful that scholars and artists from all countries continue to enjoy depicting them and never get bored, making fungi among the most widely studied life forms.