Minnesota Plant Life. 



59 



Different genera of shelf-fungi are established by botanists, 

 principally upon the character of the pores. A genus which 

 contains numerous highly poisonous species, is recognized by 

 the readiness with which the pore-layer can be separated from 

 the under side of the sterile portion of the fruit-body. One va- 

 riety of these poisonous fungi is abundant in tamarack swamps 

 throughout the state. The general shape of the plant is quite 

 exactly like that of a toad-stool, a short thick stem rises from 

 the ground, and on top of this a red cap is borne, from two to 



Fig. 17.— Upper and under sides of mushroom-like pore-fungus. After I,loyd. 



five or even more inches in diameter. The top is of a dull crim- 

 son or maroon-red tint, with scale-like markings resembling a 

 serpent's skin. Upon the under side will be seen a layer of 

 large yellowish pores, separated from each other by thin parti- 

 tion walls in which the coloring substance is developed. If 

 one pulls off the cap of this fungus and breaks it in two he 

 will find that the whole layer of pores is very easily peeled 

 away from the rest of the cap. Suppose now that one of 

 these pores was magnified until it was as large as an ordinary 



