48 SOUTHERN POLYPORES 



margin obtuse, concolorous; context corky, pallid, indistinctly 

 zonate, 0.5-1 cm. thick; tubes unevenly stratose, 3-6 mm. long 

 each season, cremeous, becoming discolored, mouths circular, 

 5 to a mm., edges usually obtuse, firm, entire, becoming smoky- 

 white, the hymenium cracking in all directions with age; spores 

 oblong, 3 X 6 ju. 



Occasional in the Gulf states on branches of Melia, Gleditsia* 

 and Fraxinus. Closely related to the preceding species. 



8. FOMES GEOTROPUS Cooke 



Pileus woody, conchate, very thick behind, 6-12 X 10-20 

 X 2-4 cm.; surface pruinose to glabrous, roughly rugose, ano- 

 derm, azonate, irregularly concentrically undulate, stramineous 

 to cremeous; margin tumid, pallid, brownish when bruised, 

 slightly undulate, deflexed; context corky, pallid to isabelline, 

 0.5-1.3 cm. thick; tubes distinctly stratified, 0.5-1.5 cm. long 

 each season, pale-chestnut-colored, fading out in the older 

 layers, mouths circular, minute, 5 to a mm., edges thin, entire, 

 rose-colored when fresh, becoming darker and discolored with 

 age or when bruised. 



Frequent at the base of living trunks of various trees in the 

 Gulf states, causing a serious rot. "Pecky" cypress is said to 

 be due to the effects of this fungus. 



32. FOMITELLA Murrill 



Hymenophore sessile, at times semiresupinate, applanate, 

 epixylous; surface glabrous, anoderm to encrusted, sulcate 

 with age; context woody or slightly punky, brownish-olivaceous, 

 rarely varying to pallid; tubes minute, cylindric, usually thick- 

 walled, more or less stratose at maturity; spores smooth, hyaline. 



i. FOMITELLA SUPINA (Sw.) Murrill 



Pileus rigid, corky to woody, dimidiate, thin, sessile, imbricate, 

 plane or concave below, 4-6 X 5-10 X 0.5-1 cm.; surface finely 

 tomentose to glabrous, azonate, smooth or rugose, varying from 

 white to umbrinous, often blotched with purple or entirely 

 purplish-black behind; context corky, zonate, greenish-isabelline 

 to olivaceous, 2-6 mm. thick; tubes normally perennial, annual 

 in many specimens, indistinctly stratose, 1-3 mm. long each 

 season, isabelline to grayish-umbrinous within, mouths circular, 

 rarely elongate, 5 to a mm., edges rather thin at maturity, entire 

 but slightly uneven, isabelline to umbrinous; spores globose, 

 smooth, 4 (JL. 



