Massee. — The Fungus Flora of Neiv Zealand. 19 



Ibracket-shaped pileus ; and finally to the resupinate condition 

 where the entire fungus forms an incrusting more or less widely 

 extending mass, inseparable from the matrix. The hymenium, 

 instead of consisting of tubes having the inside lined with the 

 hymenium as in the PolyporcB, consists of closely packed solid 

 spines or teeth, the entire surface of which bears the hymenium. 



In the genus Hijdnum the spines are slender and pointed, or 

 awl-shaped, and vary in length in different species from 3 cm. 

 to less than 1 mm. In other genera, as Radulum, the teeth 

 are more or less flattened, obtuse, and often very irregular in 

 size and form, whereas in some of the simpler resupinate genera, 

 as Grandinia, the teeth are very much reduced, the hymenium 

 heing densely covered with very minu.te warts or granules. 



The spines or teeth are very often more or less fringed or 

 leathered at the tip when seen under a pocket-lens 



Representatives of the family are apparently rare in the 

 Southern Hemisphere, the most highly developed species being 

 most abundant in the forests of northern Europe. 



Some of the large fleshy species are edible. 



A few species are destructive parasites, attacking timber and 

 fruit-trees. 



Analysis of the Geneka. 



45. Hydnitm. Spines rounded, acnte, distinct from each other at the 



base. 



46. Irpex. Teeth obtuse, s)3ringing from anastomosing ridges. 



47. Phlbbia. Hymenium covered with dehcate radiating folds or 



\\Tinkles. 



48. Grandinia. Hymenium crowded with very minute warts. 



45. Hydnum, Linn. 



Hymenium inferior in stipitate and dimidiate species, superior in 

 resupinate forms, covered with acute spines or teeth that are 

 perfectly free from each other at the base. 



Hydnum, Linn., Gen. PI., no. 968. 



Distinguished from allies by the acute awl-shaped or spine- 

 like teeth arising free from each other. 



Hydnum dathroides, Pallas, Russ. Reis., p. 2, fig. 3 ; Hdbk. N.Z. 

 Flora, p. 611 ; Sacc, Syll. vi, no. 6683 



Entirely grey, very much branched, trunk divided from the 

 base, branches fasciculate and anastomosing laterally to form 

 a,n irregular network ; upper surface of branches papillose, 

 under surface densely crowded with filiform spines 2-3 mm. 

 long. 



On wood {Knightia sp.). Northern Island, New Zealand. 

 Asiatic Russia. 



