Mycography

I close these few lines by saying that if you think proper to publish them you are liberty to do so, my wish being above all things that the truth should be brought to light, and that as much as possible we should eliminate from science those contradictions which have become but too much multiplied in mycography.

mycography. The description of fungi; a book consisting of descriptions of fungi. [<myco- + Gr. graphé a drawing, description.]

Although early mycologists developed a technical vocabulary to express their distinctions in Latin, from the first they relied on accurate representations to convey their perceptions exactly. Indeed, one may surmise that they learned to see a specimen precisely by drawing it. Thus the art of depicting fungi, or mycography (to coin a suitable term), has always been an essential part of mycology. Although drawing a specimen from life still has its advantages, photography has largely replaced it because the camera is both faster and more accurate than the pen.