11 



the place of gills on the im<lei- surfnco of the cap, tbe hymcnium in tbin 

 case lining the inner surface of the liihes from which the spores drop 

 when mature. 



In some specie?, such as those of the genus Poria, the receptacle is 

 reduced to a single thin fibrous stratum, adhering closely to the matrix 

 and exposing a surface of crowded pores, and in others it consists of 

 librous strata formed in concentric layers. 



A number of groups, each of which was treated in the original Friesian 

 classification as a single genus, have more recently been recognized as 

 comprising several distinct genera. In the Saccardian system the geneia 

 Trametes, Dfedalea, Merulius, Porothelium, and Fistulina still retain the 

 generic rank assigned to them by Fries, but the old genus Boletus is 

 subdivided into four genera, Boletus, Strobiiomyces, Boletinus, and 

 Gyrodon, while Polyporus, originally a very large genus, is subdivided 

 into the genera Polyporus, Fomes, Polystictus, and Poria. This arrange- 

 ment was in part suggested by Fries in his later works, and is accepted 

 by M. C. Cooke, as indicated in his latest work on fungi. 



Quoting M. C. Cooke, ^'■Strobilomyces is Boletus with a rough warty 

 and scaly pileus ; /ioleti/ucs is Jioletus with short, large radiating 

 pores ; and Gi/rodo)i is Boletus with elongated sinuate irregular pores, 

 all fleshy, firm fungi of robust habit, possessing stem and cap." The 

 species of the genus Polyporus as now restricted are somewhat fleshy 

 in the young stage, shrinking as they mature and dry, and becoming in- 

 durated with age. In Fomes the species, of woody consistency from the 

 first, have no room for shrinkage, and are quite rigid ; the tubes being in 

 strata, and the strata growing yearly, the species are virtually perennial. 

 The pileus of the plant shows a rigid polished crust resulting from res- 

 inous exudations. 



In Polystictus the plants are usually small, thin, tough, and irregular 

 in outline, the tubes exceedingly short, with thin walls, which easily split 

 up, giving the pores at times a toothed or fringed appearance. The sur- 

 face is velvety, or hairy, and zoned in varying colors. They are very common 

 upon decaying tree stumps, often covering the surface of the stump in 

 gaily colored layers. Not esculent. 



Poria is composed of resupinate species with the pores normally in a 

 single series, the whole stratum spread over, and adhering to the matrix. 

 The species are coriaceous or wood}'. Not esculent. 



The plants of the genus Trametes allied to Fomes are epiphytal, with 

 the trama the same in substance and color as the hymenophore. The 

 tubes do not form in regular strata, but are sunk into the substance of 

 the pileus. The plants are coriaceous, and none are edible. 



Dsedalea closely resembles Trauietes with the tubes forming deep laby- 

 rinthiform depressions. Whole plant woody, sessile. 



Hexagonia, allied by its characteristics to Polystictus, has large hexago- 

 nal pores, with firm, entire dissepiments. 



In Favolus the plants are slightly fleshy and substipitate with the 

 pores angular, and radiating from the stem. Not edible. 



