Murrill: Polyporaceae of North America 643 



Polystictus azureus Fr. Nov. Symb. 93. 185 1. 

 Coriolus versicolor Quel. Erich. Fung. 175. 1886. 



Described originally by Haller from plants collected in Switzer- 

 land. Several other specific names have been given to European 

 forms which need not be mentioned here. P. azureus was assigned 

 by Fries to a thin, beautifully colored form collected at Mirador, 

 Mexico, by Liebmann. It is no more distinct than a dozen other 

 forms which might be mentioned and should receive similar treat- 

 ment with them. 



This species is cosmopolitan and exceedingly abundant on all 

 forms of dead deciduous wood. Although numerous variations 

 occur in its wide range, some of them sufficiently distinct, it seems, 

 for specific rank, still the difficulty of going through the large 

 accumulations of material from all lands in the different herbaria 

 and satisfactorily separating it into groups is so great that it will 

 probably not soon be attempted, especially since the species is so 

 well defined by definite and easily observed characters. 



Specimens have been examined from many widely" different 

 localities. Living plants have been observed throughout Europe 

 and various parts of the United States. It is needless to attempt 

 here a summary of collections at hand. 



2. Coriolus hirsutulus (Schw.) 

 Polyporus hirsutulus Schw. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 4: 156. 1834. 

 Described from plants collected at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 

 on trunks of trees, as follows : 



" P. minutus, dimidiatus aut reniformis, subinfundibuliformis etiam ; substipitatus, 

 coriaceus, l / 2 uncialis. Pileo strigoso-canescente griseo, fasciis notato ex pilis setosis, 

 fuligineo-nigris, aggregatis in centro et in margine inflexo, inde ciliato. Poris pallidis 

 subdecurrentibus." 



This species is rather common on dead branches of Sassafras 

 and is found more rarely on other forms of deciduous wood. 

 One collection of it has been made also on white cedar. Authentic 

 plants may still be seen in the Schweinitz herbarium. They re- 

 semble young sporophores of C. versicolor in which the zones have 

 just begun to appear, but they are quite distinct from this species 

 and more nearly allied to depauperate forms of C. uigromargiuatus. 

 The limits of the species need to be better understood. Polystictus 

 Fibula Fr. is a close ally. 



