MUKRII.L : POLVFORACEAE OF NoRTH AMERICA 41 



duced by an abundance of nutritious food such as is not supplied 

 to the common species growing on dead wood. Large size, very 

 rapid growth, ample pores and a somewhat softer context are 

 probably connected with a better food supply and a more vigorous 

 mycelium. 



In addition to Polyporus, the present species has served as the 

 nomenclatorial type of two recent genera, /. r., Ccriopoi'us Quel. 

 (Ench. Fung. 167. 1886) and McUmopus Pat. (Hymenom. PLur. 

 137. 1887). 



2 I . Polyporus maculosus sp. nov. 



A small tough plant nearly related to P. fissus, but minutely 

 tomentose, with rounded nearly glabrous spots of a reddish-brown 

 color. Pileus irregularly orbicular, deeply depressed, 3-3.5 X O. i- 

 0.2 cm., surface finely and densely tomentose, radiately striate, 

 drab-colored, ornamented with several light-bay or chestnut spots 

 mostly situated about midway between the center and the margin, 

 which is very thin, striate, irregular and somewhat fissured but 

 entirely devoid of teeth or cilia: context 0.5-1.5 mm. thick, 

 tough to corky, pallid ; tubes 0.2-0.4 mm. long, 6-7 to a mm., 

 decurrent, pallid or yellowish, subcylindrical, edges entire ; spores 

 ovoid, hyaline, smooth, 3 x 4//, immature in these specimens: 

 stipe central, solid, woody, tapering upward, chestnut-black at the 

 base with blotches of light-yellow, uneven, subglabrous, 2 cm. 

 long, 2-4 mm. thick. 



This plant was collected in Central America by C. L. Smith. 

 The hymenium is not quite mature, but the other characters are 

 well marked. The peculiar reddish spots seem to be caused by 

 the disappearance of the thick tomentum at certain points. The 

 species occurs on wood and has the habit of representative plants 

 of this genus. 



22. POLVPORUS ELEGANS (Bull.) Fr. 



Boletus elegans Bull. Herb. France,//. ^6. 1780. 



Boletus iminDudarius Bull. Herb. P"" ranee, //. 12^. 1782. 



Polyponts elegans Fr. Epicr. 440. 1 836-1 838. Pat. Tab. 

 Fung. 137. 1 883-1 886. 



Abundant throughout Europe and North America on decay- 

 ing branches and trunks of various trees. Being exceedingly vari- 

 able in form, it is not strange that in Europe it is confused with 

 Its variable near relative, Polyporus Calceolus {^Boletus Cakeoliis 



