HTDJ^EI. 297 



the pileus, the tips often darker, but not always so, more or les? hoary from 

 the spores. Stem buried to some depth amoag-st fir-leaves, 2-3 in. high, often 

 confluent, slender, dark brown tomentose, attached by a shaggy or spongy 

 base.— J/. J. B. 



Sect. 3. Merisma — much branched or tuberculifonn, 



immarginate. 



* Much branched or palmate. 



851. Hydnum coralloides. Scop. '• Coral-like Hydnum." 



Very much branched, white, at length yellowish, broken up into 

 intricate attenuated branches; spines unilateral, subulate, entire. 

 — Fr. Epicr. p. 511. Sclmff.t. 142. Sow. t. 252. Lenz.f. 53. 

 Kromhh. t. 51,/. 4-7. Eng. Fl. y.p. 157. Bull. t. 390. Bisch. f. 

 3393. Kl. exs. no. 125. 



On decayed fir, beech, ash, &c. Rare. Esculent. 



[United States.] 



Young plant, according to Persoon, resembling a cauliflower ; when old it 

 fornis tufcs, afoot or more in length, with flesuoas, angular branches, beset 

 with incurved ramuli bearing spines on the under side. 



** Tuberculiform, immarginate. 



852. Hydnum erinaceus. Bull. " Hedgehog Hydnum." 



Fleshy, tough, elastic, pendulous, tuberculose, immarginate, 

 white, then yellowish, torn into fibrils above ; spines very long, 

 straight, equal, pendulous. — Fr. Epicr. p. 512. Bull. t. 34. Vitt. 

 ^ 2G. Krombh.t.bl,f.l-S. Eng. Fl.v.p.lbl . Tratt. Essh.t.Y. 



On trunks of oak, beech, &c. Rare. [United States.] 



Pileus a span or more broad, the base projecting, soft, torn into subfasci- 

 culate fibrillae (abortive spines) ; margin obtuse, gradually giving out true 

 spines, often imbricated with smaller pilei ; spines l\-2^\xx. long, pendulous, 

 thick set, very regular, soft, equally attenuated, connected two or three to- 

 gether at their bases, fastigiate ; substance thick, tough, fleshy, very soft, 

 elastic, white, not changing colour. — Fries. Spores white, plain, '00019 X 

 •00023 in. 



853. Hydnum caput-medusae. Bull. " Medusa-head Hydnum." 



Fleshy, tuberculiform, substipitate, white, then cinereous; 

 upper spines distorted, lower spines fertile, long, straight. — Fr. 

 Epicr. p. 512. Bull. t. 412. 



On trunks of trees. Rare. Esculent. [United States.] 



Large and fleshy, at first snowy-white, then dingy-cinereous ; stem dilated 

 into the pileus ; all the spines at first straight, slender, long, the upper ones 

 at length bent and contorted. 



o 5 



