88 Murrill: Polyporaceae of North America 



" Lenzites Cookei Berk, which is represented by forms with the 

 pileus of a cervine hue and with a trameto-lenzitoid hymenium." 



'^ Lenzites proxima Berk, with the thin flattened pileus completely 

 overspread by the peculiar tomentum previously described." 



Peck considers all these varieties of one protean species and 

 suggests that the specific names under which they were described 

 be retained as varietal names. 



After the study of a quantity of material, including most of the 

 original type collections, and numerous observations of various 

 stages of this plant in the field, I am forced to confess that in spite 

 of its wonderful variation in size as well as in general appearance, 

 I find it impossible to make more than one species of it. When 

 the ordinary form common in New York is compared with speci- 

 mens from the Carolinas only i cm. in diameter and they in turn 

 with large, thick poroid forms from Florida or very thin, expansive 

 lenzitoid forms from Mexico, one at once concludes that he is 

 dealing with different plants; but let a large array of specimens 

 from different localities be examined and all the specific distinc- 

 tions seem to disappear in well-graded intermediate forms which 

 are with difficulty set aside. It is not strange that the foreign 

 mycologists who had only isolated specimens to deal with should 

 have erected so many species. 



In examining European forms, some are easily recognizable as 

 distinct from those seen in America, but, knowing this plant as we 



do at home, who shall attempt to separate any o^ them specifi- 

 cally ! 



This species is met with abundantly about New York growing on 

 dead trunks or branches of sweet gum, willow, birch, oak, dogwood, 

 alder, beech and other deciduous trees and shrubs. The tubes 

 are usually daedaleoid, sometimes porous, when young, very pale 

 flesh-colored, turning at once to yellowish-brown when bruised. 

 The surface is light to dark yellowish-brown and the margin, 

 which is lighter, shows fan-like radiations of growth. Zones may 

 or may not be present. As the fruit becomes older, the tubes 



* 



very often become lenzitoid and various changes take place In the 

 appearance of the surface. The spores are hyaline, cylindrical, 

 9x2//. 



The following collections will indicate the wide range of the 

 species in North America ; Rav. Fung. Car. Fasc. 2. nos. 15 and 



