Murrit_: PoLtyPpoRaACEAE OF NortH AMERICA 231 
B. officinalis Villars, Delph. 1041. 1786. 
B. purgans Pers. Syn. 531. 1801. 
Polyporus officinalis Fr. Syst. 1: 365. 1821. 
This fungus has been known from ancient times on account of 
its medicinal properties and is still collected in considerable quan- 
tities in the larch forests of Europe and Asia for use in medicine. 
Single specimens are sometimes found weighing as much as fifteen 
pounds in the dry state. Many of the older botanists mention this 
plant. Bauhin (Pinax, 375. 1623) gives a good general descrip- 
tion of it under the name “‘Agaricum, sive fungus laricts.” Micheli 
figures it (Gen. p/. 67. f. r. 1729). Even Dioscorides knew its 
value. According to Miss Southworth, the substance of the fun- 
gus consists mostly of resin-granules about knots of mycelium, 
containing at times one or more curiously shaped bodies resem- 
bling branching bast cells, which grow out from the mycelium. 
These resin-granules contain the medicinal properties. 
The European host of this fungus is the living larch. In 
America, it has been found also on pine and spruce. Specimens 
found in Michigan in 1886 on living white pine were used by 
Calkins and others instead of quinine. MacDougal collected a 
very handsome specimen on dead spruce in Montana in July, 1go1. 
Macoun also found it on spruce in British Columbia in April, 
1889. <A recent note in Science from Professor Bessey refers to 
specimens received by him from Montana and the Yellowstone 
Park, collected on undetermined species of conifers. Calkins’ re- 
port of this species in America a dozen or more years ago evi- 
dently escaped Professor Bessey’s attention. 
11. FomeEs popucinus (Schum.) Cooke 
Boletus populinus Schum. Enum. Pl. Saell. 2: 384. 1803. 
Poria obducens Pers. Myc. Eur. 2: 104. 1825. 
Polyporus connatus Weinm. Fl. Ross. 332. 1836. En. Stirp. 
Petrop. 208. 1837. 
Polyporus connatus Fr. Epicr. 472. 1836-1838. Icon. 7. 
Tae. 7. a: 
Fomes connatus Gill. Champ. France, 1: 684. 1878. 
Fomes populinus Cooke, Grevillea, 14: 20. 1885. 
Finland (Karsten), Bavaria (de Thiimen), Germany (Sydow), 
England (Massee), Sweden (Murrill), Canada (Dearness, Macoun), 
