340 MurRILL: POLYPORACEAE OF NortTH AMERICA 
Peck was led to separate the rather rare dimidiate form of this 
species found on the trunks of trees under the name P. /uzspidiordes, 
because of its resemblance to P. hispidus. 
All of these forms and others which have received no distinct 
names seem to grade imperceptibly into one another, so that their 
separation would seem impossible even if desirable. The plant is 
an illustration of one of those unsettled types found more than once 
in this family which are blessed with overflowing exuberance of 
vitality and have several ways of expressing it. Thus, for example, 
while it usually attacks coniferous trees it may also be found on 
deciduous wood; while occurring commonly on the roots or at 
the base of its host, it may ascend to a height of fifty feet on the 
trunk, and while usually central-stemmed, the stipe may be lateral 
or even wanting. It is a very fine, large, highly-colored plant, 
well-known for its destructive effects upon coniferous trees both in 
Europe and America. Specimens nearly two feet in diameter were 
collected the past summer on the roots of larch trees at Mendel 
Pass in the Italian Tyrol. 
According to Schrenk, who has studied the species in New 
England, the fruit bodies appear in July and August and are 
greedily devoured by beetles soon after the spores are matured. 
During the discharge of the spores, drops of a yellow liquid were 
collected by him from the hymenium, which were found to contain 
certain fungous sugars. It is probable that these sugars have 
something to do with the distribution of the spores among the 
roots of new host plants. 
Some of the localities where this widely distributed fungus has 
been collected are given below. It is not rare in Asia and Europe 
and seems even more abundant in North America: Finland, a7- 
sten ; England, Plowright ; Tyrol, Bresadola & Murrill ; Newfound- 
land, Waghorne ; Canada, Macoun ; Vermont, Burt ; Connecticut, 
White ; New York, Earle, Peck ; New Jersey, Ellis ; Delaware, Com- 
mons ; Oregon, Carpenter ; Washington, Macbride ; South Carolina, 
Shear ; Louisiana, Langlois; Alabama, Earle & Baker ; Mexico, 
Smith. 
COLTRICIA S. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 1: 644. 1821. 
S#ilia S.. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pi i: 645. 1821. 
Polystictus Fr. Nov. Symb. 70. 1851. 
