title: Ancient Chinese people's knowledge of macrofungi as medicinal material during the period from 581 to 979 AD.
abstract: Ancient Chinese knowledge of macrofungi during the period from 581 to 979 ad is carefully examined and discussed on the basis of previous studies and a mass of relevant texts from the period. The knowledge of macrofungi during this period was broadened by critically inheriting past literature and adding new findings and knowledge, which could be primarily reflected by the knowledge of the medicinal properties of macrofungi. The exploration of the reliable ways to distinguish edible macrofungi from poisonous ones received special attention from the physicians of this period, despite the fact that none of them were totally reliable. Still, in the field of agriculture, an important achievement was that of new macrofungi cultivation techniques. The notes on macrofungi in literary pieces as well as Taoist works provided many vivid accounts of the uses and nomenclature of macrofungi in Chinese culture.
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000266:history* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005658:Fungi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D029001:Herbal Medicine / Q000266:history*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal