MYCOLOQICAL NOTES. 



BY C. G. L LOYD. 



Polyporoid Issue, No. 2. 



CINCINNATI, O. AUGUST, 1909. 



THE GENUS FAVOLUS. 



Hymenium of large, elongated pores, radiating from the stem. 

 Spores white. Context fleshy, tough. 



The genus Favolus, quite frequent in the tropics, is represented 

 by but one species in temperate Europe or America. As originally 

 proposed, it included all the large-pored polyporoids, but is now usu- 

 ally restricted to species with elongated pores. The large-pored polyp- 

 oroids with round or hexagonal pores form the genus Hexagona, a 

 tropical genus. 



THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FAVOLUS AND HEXAGONA. The 

 author who proposed Favolus made no distinction, but Fries separated the 

 original genus Favolus into two genera, one with elongated pores which he 

 called Favolus, the other with hexagonal pores which he called Hexagona, 

 and this has been used for eighty years, and accepted by every mycologist 

 as far as I know (excepting it was juggled as part of the 83%). l 



The genus Favolus runs into the agaric series, and the tropical species 

 sometimes take a lamellate form. The genus Hexagona, on the other hand is 

 more closely related to Polyporus. Generally speaking Hexagona comprises 

 "corky-woody" species and Favolus "fleshy-tough" species. A few species with 

 hexagonal pores but with the usual Favolus context have been placed with 

 the latter. We should include them in Hexagona, and one species of our 

 Southern States is affected thereby, viz : Hexagona cucullata. 



DISTINCTION BETWEEN FAVOLUS AND POLYPORUS. Theo- 

 retically the distinction is large, elongated pores, as previously stated, though 

 of course it is difficult to exactly specify where the line falls between large 

 and small pores. In practice, however, dimidiate species or with lateral stems 

 are called Favolus, while species with equally large, elongated pores with a 

 central stem are called Polyporus (example, Polyporus arcularius). It would 

 probably be better to include both in Favolus, though that is not the custom. 



FAVOLUS EUROPAEUS (Fig. 256). Pileus dimidiate, with a 

 short, lateral stipe. At first covered with reddish, tawny, fibrillose 

 cuticle, which, as the plant ages, peels away or fades out so that old 

 specimens are pale or even white. Pores white, large, elongate, radiate. 



1 The excuse upon which this contortion act of changing all species of Favolus to Hexa- 

 gona and all species of Hexagona to Favolus, was based, was that Palisot-de-Beauvois, who 

 proposed Favolus and included both genera, happened to print a picture of a Hexagona ft* 



' fore he printed 

 taken in the ser 

 which he printed first. Certainly 



oposed Favolus and included both genera, happened to print a picti 



re he printed a picture of a Favolus. As the present genera Favolus and Hexagona are i 

 ken in the sense of Palisot-de-Beauvois, I can not see why it should make any difference 

 tiich he printed first. Certainly it is not of enough importance to change 218 names. 



'7 



UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 



AT LOS ANGELES 



JAN 2 01942 



