I860.] CHAPTERS ON FUNGI. 73 



Greville (by whom it is beautifully figured) to be the largest of 

 British Fungi. 



PoLYPORUs BETULiNus, BuU. Birch-tree Polyporus. Pileus 

 fleshy, smooth, pale reddish-brown, furnished with a very short 

 obliquely vertical obsolete stem ; pores unequal, white. 



In trunks of dead Birch-trees, summer and autumn; common. 



Pileus 4-6 inches across, roundish or subreniform, generally 

 almost sessile. Flesh pure-white, thick. Pores white, or tinged 

 with brown, narrow. Spores white, very small, oblong. 



A common Fungus on dead Birches. The flesh is sometimes 

 used for strops for razors, for which purpose it is well adapted. 

 When dry the whole plant is very light. 



Polyporus versicolor, L. Party-coloured Polyporus. Pilei 

 coriaceous, villous, adorned with various coloured zones, more or 

 less shaded with blue; pores round, white. 



On trunks of trees, posts, sticks, etc. ; extremely common. 



Generally dimidiate and densely imbricated, ^temless, marked 

 with regular concentric shining zones of various colours, princi- 

 pally shades of blue and brown. Pores short. Spores very small, 

 white, oblong. 



A very common and variable species on decaying wood. Some- 

 times the pileus is entirely of an ochry-brown, with darker zones. 



I shall notice another genus of this suborder, viz. Boletus, 

 many species of which are common Fungi. 



Boletus. 



Hymenium distinct from the substance of the pileus, consist- 

 ing of cylindric separable tubes. 



Boletus Grevillei, K1. Bright-yellow Boletus. Pileus com- 

 pact, bright-yellow, clothed with brown gluten, which gradually 

 disappears; tubes decurrent, of a golden-sulphur colour; stem 

 firm, furnished with a ring, above which it is reticulated. 



Woods, heaths, etc. May-Oct. ; common. 



Pileus 2-5 inches broad, generally bright-yellow and glutinous, 

 becoming dry. Tubes unequal, wavy, sometimes with their 

 orifices reddish. Bing dirty-yellow, disappearing in old-age. 

 Spores minute, dull pale-ochraceous. Stem 2-3 inches high, 

 6-9 lines thick, yellow spotted with reddish, thickened at the 

 base. 



A common Boletus, especially in plantations of Larch. It is 



N. S. vol. IV. l 



