THE FUNGUS. 15 



latoially and form a singlo I'ruitino; bod}^, extcndino; the entire len<z;th 

 of the lot;. The usual form of the friiitino; surface is that of irre^^u- 

 larly branchini;; i2;ills, but cases can be found where it is in the form 

 of more or less re*i;ular pores. On the other hand, the frills are some- 

 times as re<i;idar as those of most oi' the Ap;aricace8e. One case 

 was noted where the sporophores grew on the upper horizontal 

 surface of a square timber and had the hymenium in the form of 

 spiny projections. Similarly shaped bodies have been obtaineul in 

 cultures (PI. IV). The sporophore is perennial. When the condi- 

 tions for growth are favorable, a new development takes place on 

 the edge of the fruiting body and its untler surface. There is a very 

 marked difference in the color of the sjiorophore, depending upon 

 its age. The youngest mycelium is snow-white; th(>n, as age increases, 

 the color turns quite rapidly to a yellowish white, then to a deeper 

 yellow, finally to a brown, and in very old specimens it may be 

 almost black. Very often the edges of the sporophores are yellowish 

 white in color, showing that a new growth has taken place very 

 recently. During sporulation the hymenium is yellomsh white 

 (PI. I, fig. 2), and this color is a very good indication that spores are 

 being given off. Sporophores collected in Missouri, in January, 

 when placed in moist chambers gave off spores very abundantly 

 within a few hours, seeming to show that sporulation in northern 

 climates takes ])lace at almost any time when there is enough heat 

 and moisture for the tissues to carry on their functions. 



Sporophores of Lenzites sepiaria may remain dry and apparently 

 lifeless for a long period and still be able to produce viable spores 

 under favorable conditions. This power to revive after long periods 

 of inactivity is known to be not uncommon with the wood-inhabiting 

 fungi. Buller (1909) found tliis property to exist to a remarkable 

 degree in certain species: Daedalea unicolor (Bull.) Fr. recovered after 

 (U'siccation for four years. Lenzites hetulina (L.) after three years, 

 and various others for periods varying from one week to three 

 years. Rumbold (1908) found that specimens of Lenzites sepiaria 

 wdiich had l)e(Mi kei)t dry for 17 months, when moistened were able 

 to produce viable spores. Moreover, they were able to repeat this 

 performance after being dried again and lying a short time inactive. 

 The writer obtained abundant spores in April, 1910, from fruiting 

 bodies wliich in April, 1908, had been placed in a petri dish and 

 collections of spores made. They soon dried out and had remained 

 thus ever since in a dark drawer. Two years later they were again 

 moistened and spores w'ere produced as above stated. Tests of 

 viability were not made, but Buller (1909) states that the produc- 

 tion of spores is an indication that sporophores are alive. This 

 power of reviving after long periods of tlrought is of considerable 

 84055°— Bui. 214—11 2 



