THE TUBE-BEARING FUNGI 



411 



Polyporus volvatus. Pk. 



Volvatus, bearing a volva. This is a most interesting species. The pileus 

 seems to be prolonged, making a volva-like protection of the spore surface. 

 When this volva is ruptured small heaps of spores will often be seen on the 

 volva, having been protected from the wind. 



The plant is small, somewhat round, and before the volva is ruptured it is 

 very like a puff ball ; fleshy, smooth, attached by a small point, whitish, slightly 

 tinged with yellow, 

 red or reddish- 

 brown ; the cuticle 

 of the pileus envel- 

 oping the entire 

 pore-surface, thick 

 and firm. The 

 pores are rather 

 long, small, the 

 mouths yellowish, 

 with a tinge of 

 brown. The spores 

 are elliptical and 

 flesh-colored, .0003 

 to .00035 inch long 

 and about .0002 

 broad. 



This plant has a 



wide distribution, being found in the New England and Eastern States, and the 

 States of the Pacific slope. I presume it will be found wherever the spruce tree 

 is a native. 



The specimens in Figure 340 were found near Boston and were sent me 

 about the first of May by Mrs. Blackford. The first package I took, before 

 examining them, to be a new puffball, which they seemed to resemble in their 

 undeveloped state. 



Figvrk 340. Polyporus volvatus. Natural size. 



Polystictus bi form is. Vr. 



Biformis means two shapes or appearances ; referring to the condition of the 

 pores in the young and the old plant. 



The pileus is two to three inches wide, projecting from one to three inches, 

 often imbricated so as to cover a larg'e surface ; laterally confluent, coriaceous, 

 flexible, tough, subzonate, with innate radiating fibres, the cortex fibrillose, 

 concolorous. 



The pores at first very large, simple, compound, or confluent, round, elon- 



