264 POLYPOREAE OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



2 cm. to 8 cm. by 01 cm. to 1 cm.; surface concentrically sulcate, 

 zoned, densely velvety tomentose or hirsute, varying fawn to buff, 

 becoming grey with age, at times tuberculate; context 0-5 mm. to 



3 mm., shining, yellow, fibrous, corky, to sub-woody; tubes 1 mm. 

 to 4 mm. long, yellow within; mouths subrotund to irregular, 

 unequal, 1 to 3 to the mm.; edges thick becoming thin and some- 

 what lacerate, pure white when young becoming yellow as the plant 

 matures; spores hyaline, allantoid, 2/t by 7/a; hyphae 3/x to 7/a 

 diam. 



Distribution . — An exceedingly common fungus on dead stumps 

 and logs. Recorded from Eastern Cape Forest Conservancy by 

 J. D. Keet ; common around Durban, by the writer; from Eshowe 

 by Ridgeway ; midlands of Natal, by the writer; G. Hobbs, at 

 Howick, Natal. 



P. lanaius Fr. is hardly specifically distinct from P. occiden- 

 talis, and probably but a form of it ; /'. helvolus, Fr. differs from 

 P. occidentalis in somewhat larger pores, but this is not sufficient 

 to make a species; Trametts devexa, Berk., is but a thick (1 cm. 

 or more) trametoid form of P. occidentalis, and may occur in the 

 same collection 



Forms with more daedaloid pores have also been observed. 



28. Polyporus leoninus, Klotz. 



Pileus sessile or effused reflexed, dimidiate, imbricate, laterally 

 connate 3-7 cm. to 13-5 cm. by 3 cm. to 7 cm. by 1-5 cm. ; surface 

 covered with a dense mat of coarse branched interwoven fibrils, 

 light to fawn coloured; context 1 mm. to 2 mm., a thin, fibrous layer 

 above tubes, merging in the mat of fibrils; yellowish buff; tubes 

 3 mm. to 4 mm. long, yellowish buff; mouths 1 to 2 to the mm. ; 

 angular; edges thin, irpiciform. 



Distribution. — Found by H. J. Poss at Illovo, Natal; by the 

 writer at Durban, Natal, and Umfolosi, Zululand. 



The plant is recognised by the thick dense mat of coarse fibrUs 

 covering the upper surface of the pilei and by the irpicoid edges 

 of the tubes. 



29. Polyporus mollic.arnosus, Lloyd. 



Pileus annual or persisting a second season, circular, 38 cm. 

 in diam., concave above; surface soft, pale buff to bluish green, 

 smooth, undulating; context soft, spongy, floccose, buff to yellowish- 

 buff 1 cm. to 5 cm. thick; tubes long, 0-5 cm. to 3 cm., buff 

 coloured; mouths reseda green, irregular, angular to elongated; 

 spores (teste Lloyd) smooth, very pale colour, truncate, 8/a by 12ja 

 to 14/a ; hyphae 4/a to 11/a. 



Distribution . — A single specimen collected at Durban, Natal. 



In its soft spongy context the fungus resembles P. colossus, 

 but differs from it in its habit, surface, long pores, spore characters, 

 and colour of context. 



It is evidently normally an annual, though in part a second 

 pore layer had formed over the first. 



