A CATALOGUE OF ESCULENT BRITISH FUKGI. 131 



(177.) POLYPORUS FOMENTAEIUS ; The Amadou Poljpore. 



Habitat. On old oaks, beeclies, etc. Singly. 



Season. Perennial. Common. 



Pileus. To twenty inclies across, or more, dusky, grey-brown, 

 farrowed or zoned concentrically ; triangular, crescent-stiaped, 

 hoof- shaped, etc.; dilate, thick, smooth, opaque, nodulose. Margin 

 stratified. Cuticle thick, hard, persistent, inner layer dark and 

 shining. Sessile. Lateral. 



Section. Flesh brown, at first soft, floccose, soon coriaceous, 



thick, hard. Pores glaucous, then brownish, concave in the mass, 



veiy long, minute, regular, stratified. Odour ligneous. Taste 



bitter-astringent. 



Obs. It is the principal and best of the Polypores used for making German 

 tinder, or Amadou. In extreme infancy the German and French peasants eat 

 it, but even then it is very tough. — W. D. H. 



(178.) P0LYP0RU3 GIGANTEUS ; The Giant-tuft. (PL VL 

 fig. 3.) 



Habitat. At the foot of old trees. In single clumps. 



Season. Autumn and winter. Rare. 



Habit. A mass of pileated, fleshy, coriaceous branches rising 

 from a tuberose trunk, the "whole from one to three feet across. 

 Pilei broad, bright brown, zoned, becoming black, flocculose or 

 squamoso-fibi-illose ; sub-lateral, imbricate, dimidiate, flaccid, ir- 

 regular, unequal, rigid, depressed. Stems short and long, connate, 

 lateral, branched, fibrillose, bi-ownish. Pores pallid, browning, 

 round, minute, torn. Odour slight. Taste not unpleasant. 



Obs. Abroad it is eaten when very young, but is even then rather tough. — 

 W. D. H. 



(179.) POLYPOEUS INTYBACEUS; The Hen of the Woods. 



Habitat. At the foot of old trees. In single clumps. 



Season. Autumn and winter. Rare. 



Habit. A mass of spathulate, fleshy, fragile branches ri.sing 

 from a common base, up to six inches high and sixteen across. 

 Pilei half to one inch across, dusky, grey-brown, numerous, dimi- 

 diate, upright, imbricate ; discs dilate, flattened, irregular, smooth. 

 Stems continuous, confluent. Poi-es white, then dingy, compound, 

 small. Odour of mice. Taste agreeable. Spores white. 



Obs. The best edible Polypore. Very good until old and tough. Much 

 esteemed on the Continent. — W. D. H. 



