366 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



Pleurotus spongiosus. Fr. 



Pileus 2-3 in. across, fleshy, excentric, somewhat lateral, 

 piilvinatc, covered with a persistent grey down; flesh loosely 

 floccose, white ; gills sinuately adnexed, with a decnrrent 

 tooth, simple, distinct, crowded, white, margin quite entire ; 

 stem lip to 1 in. long, sometimes almost wanting, excen- 

 tric, incurved, not rooting, white, tomentose; ring white, 

 soon torn, adhering to the margin of the pilens, at length 

 disappearing; spores 8-10 x 4 /x. 



Agaricus (Pleurotus^ spongiosus, Fries, Epicr., p. 130 ; Cke., 

 Hdbk., p. 102 ; Cke., Illustr., pi. 253. 



On trmiks of beech, &c., among moss. 



Distinguished by the presence of a veil and sinuately ad- 

 nexed gills. 



** 



Gills sinuate or ohiiisely adnate. 



Pleurotus ulmarius. Bull. 



Pileus 3-7 in. across, fleshy, compact, horizontal, fairly 

 regular but more or less excentric, convex then plane and 

 disciform, even, glabrous, livid becoming pale, but ele- 

 gantly marbled with roundish spots ; flesh white, tough ; 

 gills horizontal, emarginate and rounded behind, slightly 

 adnexed, broad, rather crowded, whitish ; stem solid, firm, 

 elastic, somewhat excentric, curved and ascending, 2—3 in. 

 long, up to 1 in. thick, base thickened and tomentose, not 

 unfrequently tomentose everywhere, white. 



Agaricus v.lmarius, Bull., Champ., t. 510; Cke., Hdbk., p. 

 102; Cke., Illustr., pi. 227. 



On trunks of various trees. 



ITsually solitary ; often very large and robust. When 

 the fungus grows vertically from the side of a trunk, the 

 stem is more or less excentric and ascending ; when grow- 

 ing horizontally, the stem is central and erect, when it 

 resembles a TricJwloma, but distinguished by growing on 

 wood. (Fries.) 



In Cooke's figures the pileus and stem are pale ochraceous. 



Pileus 3-12 in. broad, obtuse smooth, subcoriaceous, but 

 within very white, soft yet compact, thick, sometimes marbled 

 with livid spots. Gills numerous, broad, white, adnate or 

 subdecurrent, irregular. Stem excentric, ascending, 2-3 in. 



