Distribution. I think we have a fairly good knowledge of the species that 

 occur in Europe and the United States. In Europe ovinus and confluens are 

 the most frequent species of this section in the pine woods of northern Europe. 

 Squamosus is common all through Europe. Tuberaster, leucomelas, griseus, 

 cristatus, pes caprae, squamatus and Boucheanus are the rare species of Europe. 

 Politus is only known from an old collection. 



In the United States griseus and radicatus are most frequently collected. 

 Caeruliporus, confluens, Pes caprae, Ellisii and squamosus are more rare. 



Very little is known of the species of foreign countries. Of the thirteen 

 collections received in Europe from foreign countries twelve of them have been 

 found to be "new species." It is needless to say that the subject is not exhausted 

 nor a great deal known of the distribution from the single collection known 

 of each of these "new species." 



Divisions of the section Ovinus. We would arrange the species 

 into a few groups, based on the most prominent characters. 



ist. Species produced by a sclerotium page 74 



2d. Stems usually mesopodial, pores small page 76 



3d. Stems usually mesopodial, pores large page 79 



4th. Stems usually excentric or irregular, pores small page 79 



5th. Stems excentric, pores large page 83 



Melanopus. 



Stems black, at least at the base (all preceding do not have this character). 



6th. Pores large page 85 



7th. Pores small page 87 



GROUP 1. SPECIES PRODUCED FROM A SCLEROTIUM. 



There are several noteworthy Polyporoids that produce their fructification 

 from underground tubers or sclerotia as they are called. The best known in 

 Europe is Polyporus tuberaster; in Australia, Polyporus Mylittae; in Africa, 

 Polyporus sacer, which however we would not class in the section Ovinus. 



POLYPORUS TUBERASTER. Pileus fleshy, convex then in- 

 fundibuliform, 4 yellowish, scaly when old. Flesh white. Pores white. 

 at first small, round, then larger and more angular. Spores large, 

 4 x 12, hyaline, smooth. 



This plant, which is said to be "cultivated" and used as food in Italy is 

 rather rare in the museums of Europe. Most of the specimens I have seen were 

 collected by Trog in Switzerland. While it is called tuberaster it really does 

 not have a true sclerotium. The hard masses (known as Pietra in Italian, or 

 stones as translated in English) are formed of earth cemented into a stone- 

 like body by the mycelium of the fungus. They are said to be cultivated in 

 Italy to produce the fungus for food, somewhat in the same manner that mush- 

 rooms in our country are produced from spawn. A further account by Prof. 

 Mattirolo and illustration will be found on pages 92 and 93. 



POLYPORUS GOETZII (Fig. 496). Pileus umbonate, about 

 four inches in diameter, with a pale, dull, smooth surface. Pores large, 

 sub-angular with thin walls, pale colored or discolored but not fer- 

 ruginous I think. Stipe mesopodial, growing singly from a black 



4 Strongly so as shown in Jacquin's plate. In the specimens found in the museums, mostly from 

 Trog, Switzerland, this character is not so pronounced, nor is it so shown in Venturi's plate, which 

 seems to be the best. 



74 



