FOMES AFFLAXATL'S (PERS.) VVALLK. IN SOUTH AFRICA. 489 



authors have suggested that the tree endeavours to check the 

 advance of the fungus b}^ plugging its cells with deposits which 

 fill their lumina, and are very difficult for the fungus to pass. 

 The chemical nature of the deposit I have not investigated, but 

 it appears to be difficultly soluble. 



Description of the Fungus. 



Tile bracket-like body which grows out from diseased or 

 dead trees is the fructification — sporopliorc or pileus — oif the 

 fungus, and the spores of the ftmgus are borne in the minute 

 pores, which are evident on the lower surface of the sporophore. 

 The following is a description of the S|X)rophore, and with the 

 aid of the i^hotographs it is hoped the fungus will be readily 

 recognized. 



Pileus, Plate 14 and Plate 15 h, perennial, hard, woody, 

 dimidiate, sessile, thin and applanate, though less frequently 



ji-' 





Fig. I. 



ungulate and thick, plane below or somewhat hollowed or con- 

 cave; often very large, 10.5 to 42.5 X 10-23 X 2-10 cms. Sur- 

 face covered with a thick, horny, encrusted layer, greyish, red- 

 dish or drab-brown, zonate or concentrically sulcate, glabrous 

 or somewhat ttiberculose, opaque to subshining, conidial bear- 

 ing. Margin smooth, thick or thin, sterile, acute or obttise, 

 and at times truncate . Context dark bay brown, floccose to 

 soft corky, 2-9 mm. thick. Tubes stratified, .5-2 cms. long each 

 season ; old tubes stuffed with white fibrous fungoid threads, 

 between which are the dark amber of their walls (Plate 15 /;). 

 Strata of pores in many specimens separated by context tissue 

 (Fomes vegctus Fries.),* in others not thus separated. Mouths 



* Fames vegetus Fries, is described as having the pore layers separated 

 by context tissue, but this is, as pointed out hy Lloyd, a condition of F. 

 (ipplaiiafi)s. and not a distmct species. 



