SECTION MELANOPUS. 



Plants that have black stems are called Melanopus, but we include in this 

 section only those with pilei that would be classed as Lentus. The soft, fleshy 

 species are included in Ovinus, Sections 43 and 44. Others with black stems 

 will be found in Section Petaloides, Section 23, and in Microporus. Section 45d. 



49. STIPE PLEUROPODAL OR CENTRAL, RARELY LAT- 

 ERAL. PORES MINUTE. 



VARIUS. Pores very minute, white. Piletis dark bay to almost 

 black, smooth. Flesh firm. Type form is common in Europe and it 

 occurs under varying forms in many countries. The following eight 

 could easily be considered as forms. 



ALBICEPS. Pileus white, smooth, with firm, compact, white 

 flesh. Pores very minute, white, decurrent. Stem mesopodal, white, 

 rarely slightly black at the very base. The stem is not always black 

 at the base hence the plant may not be sought for in this section. Its 

 firm flesh, small pores, and other characters bring it very close to 

 Polyporus varius even if occasional specimens were not found show- 

 ing a "black stem." The plant is rare in the United States. 



ELEGANS. This has all the characters of varius except the 

 small size which is so constant that on this one character it is generally 

 held to be a good species. 



PICIPES. Name applied to the black form of varius with more velvety 

 stems. Frequent in England. In the United States this name is applied to a 

 thin dark form of varius. 



LEPRODES. A deformed, irregular, submerismatoid form of.varius. Rare 

 in Europe and the United States. Given in Fries as a variety of Polyporus 

 melanopus. 



ADMIRABILIS. A large, white, thick plant with a rudimentary stem. 

 Very different from varius in some features but very close in the essentials. 

 Rare, and occurs in the extreme eastern part of the United States. 



BLANCHETIANUS, For me this is a tropical, reduced form of varius. 

 Short stem, small size, but in all essential characters it is the same as varius. 



DICTYOPUS. For me the tropical form of picipes-varius. Color black 

 and it is smaller than the form of temperate regions. Usually known as in- 

 fernalis of Berkeley which is the same thing. Widespread in tropical countries, 

 Brazil, Africa, Ceylon. 



PAUCHERI (Fig. 482). A form of the preceding with striate pileus. 

 Common in Australia and at Kew it is referred to infernalis. 



MELANOPUS. Pileus villose or rarely scaly. Growing in the 

 ground attached to buried sticks by which habits it can be told from 

 varius which usually grows on trunks or decayed spots of living trees. 

 Rather rare in both Europe and the United States. 



180 



