It also seems to be frequent in our Western forests (California) 

 there growing on Pinus contorta, and Professor Peck has found it 

 at Albany on Pinus rigida. It is probably restricted to coniferous 

 wood. 



Polyporous volvatus is an annual plant and short lived, for it 

 is usually destroyed by beetles early in the season. 13 The form is 

 globose, or compressed, as shown in our illustration. At first it is a 



Fig. 261. 



Polyporus volvatus. 

 The larger are the Western form, the smaller the "type" form. 



hollow ball with a posterior opening below. 14 Then the pores are 

 developed in the interior on the upper side. The context is white and 

 homogeneous. I think it is misleading to describe the "volva" as a 

 prolongation of the margin of the pileus. The "piletis" is rather a 

 hollow globe with the context slightly thicker above than below. The 

 surface of the pileus is smooth, the upper portion colored with a 

 reddish brown resinous stain. 15 The pores are small, slightly darker 



13 Notwithstanding that it was arranged by Cooke in "Fomes" and is found in Saccardo 

 "Fomes volvatus," Mr. Murrill puts it in "Fomiteae." Its nature is the antithesis of 



Fomes and Fomiteae, and, 

 to Polyporus betulinus. 



puts 

 ted out 



by both Peck and Patouillard, its relations are close 



14 We read that the "volva at length ruptures at one to three points," etc. I think there 

 is no rupture. The hole is formed when the "volva" is. It is a definite, well formed aperture, 

 and exists, I believe, from an early stage. I have one collection so young that no pores are 

 yet formed, but the aperture is perfect. And I think it is a definite, single aperture. I have 

 never feen a species with more than one opening. Specimens are recorded, as for instance 

 Ellis' "new species" Polyporus inflatus, without an opening, but that is evidently due to 

 growing on top of a log, an abnormal position. When the plant grows normally on the side 

 of a trunk, as it generally does, the hole is developed as the plant develops. 



a In a young collection I have, this stain is uniform over the entire surface, but in old 

 collections it seems to disappear from the under surface. 



