CLAVI3 AGARICINORUM. ^ 251 



come to life with rain. This biological character is of great import- 

 ance ; for by its neglect species nearly related have been widely separated. 

 The texture of all the species is tough, distiugui'sliing them from the 

 preceding. The species are mostly small and slender. Some are edible, 

 others have an oifensive, foetid, or alliaceous smell. 



Genus XIV. Lentinus, Fr. El. p. 45. — Spores white ; pileus fleshy, 

 coriaceous, tough, hard, and dry; stem hard and often obsolete, when 

 present continuous and the same with the hymenophorum ; gills tough, 

 simple, xmequal, thin, edge acute, generally toothed ; trama none. — 

 Hab. On stumps, rarely on the ground. 



A natural but very polymorphic genus, distinguished from Pletirotus 

 by its tough and fleshy substance. 



Genus XV. Panus, Fr. Epicr. p. 396. — Spores wiiite ; pileus un- 

 equal-sided or lateral, tough, fleshy, at length coriaceous, but not 

 woody, drying up, but reviving with moisture; stem the same with 

 the hymenophorum ; gills thinner than in the last genus, tough, at 

 length coriaceous, unequal, with an entire acute edge ; trama floccose. 

 — Hab. On stumps. 



All the species are tough (at first softer), never woody ; drying up in 

 decay. 



Genus XVI. Xerotus, Fr. El. p. 48. — Spores white; pileus mem- 

 branaceous ; stem confluent with the hymenophoiaim, which descends 

 into and forms a trama ; gills dichotomous, foldlike, coriaceous, adnato- 

 decuiTent, with an obtuse entire edge ; in the single British species 

 branched and very distant. — Hab. The British plant grows in peat- 

 mosses. 



This genus, which is chiefly tropical, resembles a coriaceo-membra- 

 naccous CaulhareUi(s, with narrow gdls. 



Genus XVII. Schizophyllu.m, Fr. Observ. Mycol. vol. i. p. 103. — 

 Spores white ; pileus not flesliy, dry, sessile ; gills coriaceous, branched, 

 split longitudinally at the edge, with the two divisions revolute or 

 spreading, joined to the pileus by a tomentose pellicle. — Hab. Rotten 

 wood. 



An easily recognized but very aberrant genus of the Agaricini. 



Genus XVIII. Lenzites, Fr. Gen. Hymen. — Spores white; pileus 

 coriaceous, dimidiate, sessile ; gills coriaceous, firm, unequal, sim{)le 

 or branched, and anastomosing behiiul, etX^n obtuse or acute, trama 

 floccose; oflcu spuriously porous. — Hab. On stumps, rails, etc. 



