92 BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. [Vol. xix, 



For some years, I have devoted myself to the study of this interesting 

 fungus and have travelled to the cliu ling producing districts of the pro- 

 vinces of Yamagata and Fukushima in north japan, in order to obtain its 

 good specimens. 



This summer, I was fortunate enough to find out at Kobushi mura 

 in Minami aizu the fruiting body of this fungus springing out from its 

 scleroitium and at the same time was able to study its probable host plants. 



So I intend here to give a brief preliminary notes about the results 

 already attained in the following lines. 



1. The Japanese cliu ling is a kind of sclerotium belonging to a new 

 species of basidiomycetous fungi, which I call polyporus cliu ling. 



2. The sclerotium is found underground, just beneath a thick layer of 

 fallen leaves, forming horizontal stratum of branched tuberous body, 

 attached to the roots of host plants. 



3. The fruiting body of the elm ling appears thrice a year, in May, 

 July and October, and is known under the local name of chord 

 maitalci, natsu maitalce, or chorei naba, which resembles very much 

 to polyporus uumbellata in form, having ramified stipes. It is col- 

 lected by poor peoples as an article of food. (PI. IV. fig. 2.) 



4 The host plants on the roots of which the sclerotium of this fungus 

 are produced seem to be fagus Sieboldi Endl., Quercus grosseserrata 

 BL, Quercus crispula BL, Acer pahnatum Thunb., which I intend 

 to prove later on by the comparative study of the structure of the 

 island of Japan. 



In the Chinese literature, the elm ling is said to be produced on the 

 roots of liquidambar formosana but it is not the case with the 

 Japanese elm ling, for this host tree do not grow wild in the main 

 island of Japan. 



5. The screlotium of polyporus cliu ling is of perenial growth, having 

 an irregular branched form and connected together by very narrow 

 constrictions. It has a brownish black skin and white flesh, and 

 often attains an enormous size of two feet or more in diameter. 

 (PI. IV. fig. 2.) 



G. As to the morphology of the fruiting body and the minute structures 

 of the sclerotium, I will give in full detail in a later paper. 



(The PI. IV. will appear in the next number.) 



