﻿336 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  of 
  Louisiana 
  [Sect. 
  

  

  times 
  larger 
  than 
  appears 
  in 
  the 
  picture. 
  While 
  it 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   bracket 
  fungi 
  it 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  Polyporus 
  in 
  that 
  the 
  fruiting 
  

   under 
  surface 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  honey-comb, 
  but 
  is 
  covered 
  

   with 
  spinous, 
  or 
  awl- 
  shaped 
  processes. 
  This 
  fungus 
  grows 
  in 
  

   the 
  heart 
  wood 
  also, 
  and 
  the 
  interior 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  was 
  so 
  

   badly 
  decayed 
  that 
  the 
  fungus 
  was 
  enabled 
  to 
  push 
  its 
  way 
  out 
  

   through 
  a 
  long 
  crack 
  which 
  occurred 
  through 
  the 
  living 
  area. 
  

   This 
  tree 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  a 
  grove 
  of 
  trees 
  in 
  Elysium 
  Park, 
  Cortland, 
  

   N. 
  Y., 
  and 
  was 
  so 
  weakened 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  fungus 
  that 
  it 
  

   was 
  blown 
  down 
  during 
  a 
  severe 
  southeastern 
  gale 
  which 
  swept 
  

   over 
  this 
  area 
  during 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  1897. 
  This 
  fungus 
  also 
  

   occurs 
  in 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  and 
  is 
  widely 
  dis- 
  

   tributed 
  in 
  Europe, 
  where 
  it 
  also 
  occurs 
  on 
  the 
  maple. 
  

  

  Fomes 
  fomentarius. 
  Plate 
  59 
  

  

  Character 
  and 
  distribution 
  . 
  — 
  During 
  the 
  same 
  gale 
  a 
  large 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  trees 
  weakened 
  by 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  the 
  wood 
  destroying 
  

   fungi 
  were 
  blown 
  down 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  Plate 
  59 
  represents 
  a 
  

   beech 
  tree 
  weakened 
  by 
  wood 
  destroying 
  fungi 
  near 
  McLean, 
  

   N. 
  Y., 
  which 
  was 
  broken 
  over 
  at 
  this 
  time. 
  Upon 
  the 
  trunk 
  

   can 
  be 
  seen 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  brackets 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  the 
  

   Fomes 
  fomentarius 
  . 
  Its 
  fruiting 
  under 
  surface 
  is 
  honey-combed, 
  

   but 
  it 
  is 
  ver)'^ 
  different 
  in 
  habit, 
  texture, 
  form, 
  and 
  color 
  from 
  

   the 
  Polyporus 
  borealis. 
  The 
  brackets 
  are 
  scattered 
  and 
  usually 
  

   occur 
  singly, 
  so 
  that 
  several 
  do 
  not 
  overlap. 
  The 
  plant 
  is 
  shaped 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  like 
  the 
  hoof 
  of 
  a 
  horse, 
  small 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  attached 
  

   to 
  the 
  tree, 
  and 
  then 
  enlarged 
  outward 
  and 
  downward. 
  The 
  

   under 
  surface 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  concave, 
  with 
  the 
  thick 
  margin 
  pro- 
  

   jecting 
  somewhat 
  like 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  horse's 
  hoof. 
  Furthermore, 
  

   the 
  surface 
  is 
  marked 
  by 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  concentric 
  ridges, 
  and 
  fur- 
  

   rows, 
  marking 
  off 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  the 
  bracket 
  in 
  years. 
  The 
  plant 
  

   is 
  perennial, 
  and 
  each 
  year 
  a 
  new 
  layer 
  is 
  added 
  on 
  below, 
  which 
  

   is 
  broader 
  than 
  the 
  layer 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  year. 
  The 
  outer 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  is 
  light 
  brown 
  or 
  grayish 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  thus 
  harmonizes 
  with 
  

   the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  beech 
  bark, 
  while 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  is 
  rich 
  

   brown 
  in 
  color. 
  The 
  plant 
  is 
  quite 
  hard 
  and 
  woody, 
  especially 
  

   the 
  outer 
  portion, 
  while 
  the 
  inner 
  portion 
  is 
  more 
  spongy 
  and 
  

   fibrous 
  and 
  dark 
  brown 
  in 
  color. 
  The 
  inner 
  fibrous 
  portion 
  in 
  

   years 
  gone 
  by 
  was 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  tinder 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  Europe. 
  

  

  