Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati. 



Plate XLVI. 



POLYPORUS SULPHUREUS, Buinani 



Var. CLAVATUS, Fries. 

 Siiljihur-coloured Polj/2)orus. 



Gen. Clmr. Hymenium concrete witli the substance of the pileus, consisting of subrotnnd pores with their 

 simple dissepiments. Name jroXis many ; and Tropo? a pore ; in allusion to the many pores of the hymenium. 



Spec. Char. Polyporus sulphureus. Sessile, irregularly imbricated, dimidiate or branched, forming confluent 

 masses from two to three feet liigh. Each pileus is undulate, sometimes slightly zoned, alternately raised and 

 depressed in concentric bands ; the margin waved, yellow, orange, or cloudy reddish yellow, smooth ; the mass of 

 pores plane, extremely minute, sulpluu'-colom'ed. Spores abundant, white. " Dry specimens are often encrusted 

 with ciystals of binoxalate of potash." (Grev.) " When in fullest vigour it is full of sulphur-coloured milk." (Fries). 

 The flesh is at first sulphur-colour, then white, where the fungus breaks up in deep cracks. Heavy when full of 

 juice ; extremely light when di-y. SmeU disagreeable, acid, and foxy ; taste subacrid, slightly astringent. 



Var. CLAVATUS. Polymorphus, much branched, entirely covered with most minute pores, sidphur-coloured. 



Polyporus sulphureus, Berheley, Greville. 



Polyporus sulphureus, var. elavatus. Fries. 



Boletus sulphureus, Bnlliard, Soiverby, TFitheriiig. 



Agaric styptique, Paulet. 



Upon trunks of wild cherry, plum, &c. ; the variety elavatus generally on yew. Annual. Summer. 



So very striking and beautiful a fungus always commands attention when met with ; it differs so much, 

 however, in its manner of growth, that various specimens can scarcely be supposed to belong to the same 

 species. The present drawing was made from a branched group, growing on the summit of an aged yew 

 tree, in Stowe Park, Bucks ; in wliicli position it never assumed the character of a pileated Polyporus, as 

 commonly understood, but, hke sportive examples of P. squamosus under similar circumstances, tlu-ew up 

 a luxuriant growth of ramified substance, having the surface enthely porous, and, of course, entirely of the 

 lovely primrose hue which the pores constantly display. In this state it is the Polyporus elavatus of Eries. 

 On the contrary, on a wild cherry tree at Hayes Place, vvliich had a longitudinally decaying fissure, the 

 same Polyimrus grew in imbricated layers, occupying a space of ten or twelve feet in height, and only here 

 and there interspersed with finger-shaped, entirely pored protuberances. On cutting through the lower 

 part of this mass to obtain a specimen, an abundant yellow juice flowed out ; about a pint was discharged 



