Massee. — On the Fwigus Flora of Netv Zealand. 321 



The present species is somewhat uncertain, being described 

 by Berkeley from a crude drawing only. 



To this species Cooke refers a drawing of a Fungus from 

 Waitaki, with the following remark: "The colour as shown 

 in the drawing is verdigris-green, but in other respects it does 

 not appear to differ from the typical form in any essential 

 particular." 



23. Pleurotus, Fries. 



Pileus fleshy, excentric, membranaceous and often resupinate 

 in the minute species ; gills decurrent, often anastomosing 

 behind, edge entire and sharp ; stem gradually widening 

 into the pileus, excentric or lateral, sometimes absent ; 

 spores elongated. 



Pleicrotus, Fries, Epicr., p. 129 (as a subgenus of Aga- 

 ricus) . 



Soon decaying, soft and fleshy, features which separate 

 the present genus from others with an excentric or lateral 

 stem. Growing on decaying wood. • 



* Pileus always viore than 1 cm. across. 



t Pileus coloured. 



66. Pleurotiis ostreatus, Jacq., Fung. Austr., t. 268; Austr. 



Fung., p. 31; Sacc, Syll. v., no. 1390. Pleurotus glandu- 



losus, Bull., t. 426; Sacc, Syll. v., no. 1391. Pleurotus 



columhinus, Quelet, in Bresad., Fung. Trident., p. 10, t. vi. ; 



Sacc, Syll. v., no. 1395. 



Imbricated or dimidiate. Pilei at first convex and hori- 

 zontal, then expanded and ascending, flabellate or more or 

 less oyster -shell -shaped, margin often incurved, glabrous, 

 moist, even, but the cuticle sometimes torn into squamules, 

 often almost black when quite young, then brownish-grey, 

 clear blue-grey with a violet tinge, or lavender colour, often 

 becoming yellowish when old; 6-15 cm. across; flesh thick, 

 white, brownish just below the cuticle, up to 2cm. thick; 

 gills decurrent, anastomosing behind and forming a network 

 down the under-surface of the stem, rather distant, broad, 

 white, or tinged yellow, never pinkish; spores elliptical, white, 

 10-12 X 4-5 /x; stem obliterated, or short, firm, thickened 

 near the pileus, base downy or strigose. 



On trunks. New Zealand. Austraha, Europe, Siberia, 

 South Africa. 



Csespitose. Smell strong. Distinguished from every species 

 of Pleurotus except P. corticatus by the gills anastomosing 

 behind, and often forming a network running down the under- 

 surface of the stem-like base. P. corticatus differs from the 

 present species in having a ring on the stem. P. glandulosiis , 

 Bull., is the present species with the gills bearing minute glands 

 21 



