Agaricaceae 



Lentinus. The writer first met with it in North Carolina, near Washington, on 

 oaks and railroad timbers, and in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. It 

 attains quite a size, grows singly and in clusters. Its clean, cake-like 

 appearance is attractive. Cooked it ranks with P. ulmarius, L. lepideus, 

 and Panus strigosus. 



PA'NUS Fr. 



A name given to a tree-growing fungus by Pliny. 



Panus. Whole fungus between fleshy and leathery, tough, not woody, texture 



(Plate LIV.) 



PANUS TORULOSUS. 

 About one-fourth natural size. 



fibrous. Gills unequal, tough, be- 

 coming leathery, edge acute and un- 

 broken. Stem present or absent. 



Growing on wood. Various in 

 form, lasting long. Allied to Lentinus 

 but differing in the tough and very 

 entire gills. 



Spores even, white. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES. 



* Stem excentric. 

 ** Stem lateral. 

 * Stem absent. Pileus resupinate or dimidiate. 



Species of this genus are among our most observable fungi. Their 

 settlements are frequent on decaying trees, stumps, branches, on fences, 

 cut timber, etc. Most of them are small, but their coriaceous build pre- 

 vents their shrinking in cooking. Most species have a pleasant fari- 

 naceous taste and odor, which they yield, together with a gummy sub- 

 stance, to soups and gravies. 



Tasting a small piece will immediately tell, if the species is not 

 known, whether it is edible or of the styptic kind. 



* Stem excentric. 



P. COncha'tllS Fr. Formed like concha, a shell-fish. Pileus about 



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