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L1V*A«Y 

 **W YORK 



botanical 



THE POLYPORACEAE OF WISCONSIN 



J. J. Neuman. 



This great family of fungi is represented in Wisconsin by a large 

 number of species, belonging to all the commonly accepted genera ex- 

 cept Cyclomyces. Many of them are common in all parts of the state 

 but a few have so far been found only in certain regions. Polyporus 

 volvatus, for example, is of course found only in the northern part 

 of the state where its host, the pine, grows in considerable abundance. 

 Many other species that have been collected only in the northern part 

 of the state will probably also be found in the southern part, as their 

 hosts, and the conditions necessary for their growth, are present in 

 both regions. For example, Fomes marginatus grows on various de- 

 ciduous trees, but it has thus far not been collected in the southern 

 part of the state with the exception of one specimen which was found 

 growing on a hickory stump in Madison. 



The group includes parasitic, saprophytic and terrestrial species. 



To the latter belong the Boleti, Boletini, Strobilomyces and Poria 

 terrestris. The great majority, however, belong to the first two 

 groups and it is not yet clear as to many wood inhabiting species 

 whether they are in a strict sense parasitic or saprophytic. 



The collections on which the following account is based are now in 

 the herbarium of the University of Wisconsin. They were made 

 during a period of six or seven years by a number of collectors. By 

 far the largest number of species was collected by the writer on spe- 

 cial excursions into our northern forests. The brief account of the 

 distribution and relation of the polypores to various decays in timber 

 trees is largely the result of a special study of certain of our northern 

 forest regions which were worked over in the summer of 1904, while 

 the author was employed as a special agent of the United States bu- 

 reau of Forestry. Abundant specimens of wood in various condi- 

 tions of decay were collected and later worked over microscopically. 



Following are the names of some of the principal collectors who have 

 contributed material for the present work: F. E. McKenna, Blanch- 



