72 CHAPTERS ON FUNGI. [MttVCh, 



There are about a dozen Britisli species of tliis genus, and of 

 these the most common is the following, viz. : — 



Cantharellus cibarics, Fr. Common Chantarelle. Buif- 

 yellow; pileus fleshy, subrepand, smooth; folds tumid; stem 

 solid, attenuated downwards. 



Woods, summer and autumn ; common. 



Subgregarious. Pileus 1-4 inches broad, firm, variously lobed, 

 depressed in the centre when mature, of a rich yolk-of-egg- 

 yellow, paler when dry; flesh- white or yellowish- white. Folds 

 forked, thick, fleshy, decurrent. Spores white. Stem 1-3 inches 

 high, |-^ inch thick, smooth, tough, yellow, diffused into the 

 pileus. ^ 



A well-marked species, distinguished also by its odour, which 

 is very agreeable, and strongly resembles that of ripe Apricots. 

 It is esculent, and is much used in some parts of the Continent 

 as an article of food. It is, however, rather tough, and requires 

 to be cooked for a long time to render it palatable, and even then 

 it has not much flavour compared with some other Fungi. 



2. POLTPOBEI. 



In this suborder the fructifying surface is composed of pores 

 or tubes, generally occupying the under side of a pileus, but 

 sometimes resupinate, and without a pileus at all. 



The principal genus is Polyporus, which contains a consider- 

 able number of British species. Its character is as follows : — 



Polyporus. 



Hymenium concrete with the substance of the pileus, consist- 

 ing of subrotund pores, with thin simple dissepiments. I select 

 the following species as illustrative of the genus : — 



Polyporus squamosus, Huds. Large scaly Polyporus. Broad; 

 pileus of a tough elastic fleshy substance, clothed with darker 

 scales ; pores pale ; stem blunt, sublateral. 



Decayed trunks of trees, stumps, etc., summer and early au- 

 tumn ; very common. 



Solitary or imbricated. Pileus pale-ochraceous, with scattered 

 brown adpressed scales. Pores large, angular, yellowish-white. 

 Spores very small, oblong, white. Stem short, thick, generally 

 black at the base. 



A common but handsome species, often growing in hollow 

 trees. It sometimes attains a very large size, and is said by 



