The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 82

Cinnabarinus like cinnabar (vermilion). The pileus is dry, more or less spongy, pliant, rather thick, fibrous on top; flesh light or yellowish-red, shelving.

The pores are carmine, quite small, round, entire.

This species is quite common in the woods about Chillicothe. It is easily identified by the beautiful carmine color of the pileus and the pore surface, the latter being a shade darker than the former, as will be seen in Figure 338.

The specimens photographed were found in December. They grow on dead logs and branches, commonly on the oak and wild cherry, sometimes on maple. It is called by some authors Trametes cinnabarina.

_Polyporus vulgaris. Fr._

COMMON EFFUSED POLYPORUS.

Vulgaris, common. Quite broadly effused, very thin, adheres closely to its host; even, white, dry. Circ.u.mference soon smooth and the whole surface composed of firm, crowded, small, round, nearly equal pores.

Effused on dead wood, fallen branches, and frequently on moist boards.

_Polyporus lacteus. Fr._

The pileus is white, or whitish, fleshy, somewhat fibrous, fragile, triangular in form, p.u.b.escent, azonate, margin somewhat inflexed, acute.

The pores are thin, acute, dentate, finally lacerate and labyrinthiform.

This species is found in the woods, on beech logs. It is small and thin, not much more than an inch in width but sometimes elongated. Steep and gibbous behind, becoming at length smooth and equal. It is not abundant in our woods, but I have found it often. August and September.

_Polyporus caesius. Schrad._

The pileus is white, with a bluish tinge occasionally upon its surface, soft, tenacious, unequal, silky.

The pores are small, unequal, long, flexuous, dentate, lacerate.

It is found in woods on partially decayed sticks. I have only occasionally found a specimen in our woods.

_Polyporus p.u.b.escens. Schw._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 339.--Polyporus p.u.b.escens. White without and within, p.u.b.escent and s.h.i.+ny.]

p.u.b.escens means downy; so called from the satiny finish of its pileus, which is fleshy, quite tough and corky, soft, convex, subzonate, p.u.b.escent and s.h.i.+ny; white without and within; the margin acute, becoming at length yellowish and hard, with a s.h.i.+ny l.u.s.tre.

The pores are short, minute, nearly round and plane.

The pileus is from one to two inches in width, laterally confluent and usually very much imbricated. Quite plentiful in woods on beech logs.

July to November.

_Polyporus volvatus. Pk._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 340.--Polyporus volvatus. Natural size.]

Volvatus, bearing a volva. This is a most interesting species. The pileus seems to be prolonged, making a volva-like protection of the spore surface. When this volva is ruptured small heaps of spores will often be seen on the volva, having been protected from the wind.

The plant is small, somewhat round, and before the volva is ruptured it is very like a puffball; fleshy, smooth, attached by a small point, whitish, slightly tinged with yellow, red or reddish-brown; the cuticle of the pileus enveloping the entire pore-surface, thick and firm. The pores are rather long, small, the mouths yellowish, with a tinge of brown. The spores are elliptical and flesh-colored, .0003 to .00035 inch long and about .0002 broad.

This plant has a wide distribution, being found in the New England and Eastern States, and the States of the Pacific slope. I presume it will be found wherever the spruce tree is a native.

The specimens in Figure 340 were found near Boston and were sent me about the first of May by Mrs. Blackford. The first package I took, before examining them, to be a new puffball, which they seemed to resemble in their undeveloped state.

_Polystictus biformis. Fr._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 341.--Polystictus biformis. Natural size.

Frequently covered with green lichen.]

Biformis means two shapes or appearances; referring to the condition of the pores in the young and the old plant.

The pileus is two to three inches wide, projecting from one to three inches, often imbricated so as to cover a large surface; laterally confluent, coriaceous, flexible, tough, subzonate, with innate radiating fibres, the cortex fibrillose, concolorous.

The pores at first very large, simple, compound, or confluent, round, elongated, flexuous; the dissepiments dentate, then lacerate, the hymenium finally resolved into teeth.

When I first found this plant the hymenium had resolved into teeth, and I supposed that I had found an Irpex. It is found in woods on logs and stumps. Very common with us. Frequently covered with a green lichen.

July to November.

_Polystictus hirsutus. Fr._

THE BRISTLY POLYSTICTUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 342.--Polystictus hirsutus. Natural size.]

Hirsutus means hairy or bristly. The pileus is corky, coriaceous, convex, then plane, hairy with rigid bristles, zoned with concentric furrows; of one color, whitish, sometimes these zones are quite marked as in Figure 342.

The pore surface is at first white, or whitish, becoming dark or brownish in age. The pores are round, the walls rather thick. It is found on logs and stumps in the woods. It is a very common plant and widely distributed.

_Polystictus versicolor. Fr._

THE COMMON ZONED POLYSTICTUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 343.--Polystictus versicolor. One-half natural size.]

Versicolor means varying colors. The pileus is coriaceous, thin, rigid, plane, depressed behind; quite velvety, nearly even and s.h.i.+ning, variegated with colored zones, sometimes entirely white or grayish-white, not unfrequently the whole surface is villous or woolly, and the zones mere depressions.

The pores are minute, round, acute, lacerated, white or cream-color.

It is very common, as well as very variable in form and color. It is frequently found on logs and is then densely imbricated. On our hillsides it frequently grows on a small bush as in Figure 343. It is one of the most beautiful plants in the woods.