A CATALOGUE OF BRITISH POISONOUS FUNGI. 185 



brown, zoned, striate, soft, velvety ; plane, cyathiform, or infiindi- 

 buliform, tliin, leathery. Margin fimbriate or laciniate. Base 

 brown, tbick, firm, velvety, tomentose. 



Pores. Veiled at first, brown, minnte, torn, angular, decurrent. 



Section. Flesh brown, thin, coriaceous. Odour faint. Taste 

 bitter. 



Ohs. I have seen it a good deal in the Lake District. Elsewhere it seems 

 rare. Quetelet states that it is poisonous ; but the character of the poison is 

 undetermined. — W. D. H. 



(XLIX.) POLYPORUS VERSICOLOR; The Striped Stump-flap. 



Habitat. On stumps, trunks, and branches of trees. In single 

 clumps. 



Season. Spring and autumn. Common. 



Piletis. Two to twelve inches across, white, buff, or grey, zoned 

 with various colours, villose, velvety ; thin, rigid, plane, depressed 

 behind, or resupinate, reflexed, imbricate, dimidiate, etc. Sessile. 



Pores. White or pallid, minute, torn. 



Section. Flesh thin, coriaceous, whitish, rigid. Tubes short, 

 small, round, acute. Odour disagreeable. Taste nauseous. 



Obs. It has been stated to contain an irritant principle, probably purgative. 

 Little is known about it. — W. D. H. 



ORDER PEALLOIDEL 

 Genus CLATHRUS. 



(L.) CLATHRUS CANCELLATUS; The Cage Fungus. 

 (PI. XIV. fig. 3.) 



Habitat. In woods and wastes. Solitary. 



Season. August to October. Rare. 



Habit. Unique. At first inclosed in volva, white, globular, 

 ovate, rooting. Volva breaks at the top, disclosing an oval cage 

 or lattice of fleshy branches anastomosed together, and of a scarlet 

 or orange colour. The interstices of the cage-work are rectangular 

 or lozenge-shaped. The substance is cellular. The cage excretes a 

 deliquescing, viscid juice, which falls into the open volva and collects 

 there. Odour most abominable. 



06s. The hateful stench of this curious plant has always caused it to be 

 thought noxious, and there is a French vulgar belief that the touch of it will 

 produce cancer. Paulet examined it, and proved it to contain a virulently 

 poisonous principle, of a narcotic Lind. — W. D. 11. 



