GANODERMUS. 



fomentarius, and Berkeley confused it in all his works, a confusion that still exists 

 in the English text-books. 



In Europe Fomes applanatus in the type form with soft, brown crust is the 

 usual form, though it grades frequently into the next form Fomes leucophaeus. 

 In the United States and Japan the usual form is Fomes leucophaeus, though the 

 type of Europe rarely occurs, and innumerable gradations are found. In the tropics 

 Fomes applanatus often takes a form exactly the same as the European form, but 

 generally the crust is hard and brown, and then it is classed as Fomes australis. 



The shape of Fomes applanatus is generally applanate, but sometimes ungu- 

 late specimens occur. Sometimes layers of tissue are interposed between the pore 

 layers, then it becomes Fomes vegetus, but this is a condition, not a species. 



ILLUSTRATION'S. Sturm's Flora, fasc. 14, t. 63 is good as to color, but of abnormal shape. 

 The spores are also inaccurate. Gillet's figure is the best, though the context color is murh too light. 

 Bulliarri, t. 454, fig. C, also good as to shape, but inaccurate as to context color. 



SPECIMENS. VVe have about fifty collections from Europe, but only six from United States 

 that we so refer with white pore mouths. 



Foreign, not distinguishable from the European plant. India, H. Yal. Ryan- Japan, J. Umem- 

 ura; Ceylon, T. Fetch; Madagascar, Perrier de !a Bathie; Australia, W. M. Came, W. W. Froggatf 

 New Zealand, R. S. Robinson; Philippines, E. D. Merrill; Brazil, L. Damazio. 



Compare gelsicolor, Lipsiensis, megaloma, rubigin<.'sus, scansilis, vegetus. 



Variations. As to the crust, the plant varies in all degrees into Fomes 

 leucophaeus, and no line can be drawn between them. The pore mouths are white. 

 \Ve have two collections from Europe with yellow pore mouths that, as to crust, 

 should be classed with Fomes applanatus. They both grew on beech, however, 

 and incline toward Fomes laccatus, excepting as to crust. Our California collections 

 mostly have yellow pore mouths. 



FOMES LEUCOPHAEUS. Crust hard, pale or white, otherwise exactly 

 the same in context color, pores, pore mouths, and spores as Fomes applanatus. 



This is the common form in the United States and our most abundant Fomes. 

 While most specimens have a hard, pale crust, often the crust is brown, and the type 

 form of Fomes applanatus with soft, brown crust rarely occurs in the United States. 

 In most of our literature it has been called Fomes applanatus. The type of Fomes 

 leucophaeus, typical, as described with hard, pale crust is in Montagne's herbarium. 

 Murrill perpetrated a farce by calling it Fomes megaloma (on the grounds of priority 

 and a guess), which not only does not rest on any evidence, but is directly contrary 

 to the evidence that exists (see synonym). Bresadola in his recent naming follows 

 Murrill's mistake. 



In Japan, the United States, and probably most temperate countries, except 

 Europe, Fomes leucophaeus is more common than the type form, Fomes applanatus. 



SPECIMENS. \Ve have over a hundred collections from the United States which are typical 

 in having a pale, hard crust and white pore mouths, but only six from Europe that we so refer. Foreign. 

 Australia, Miss E. Campbell; South Africa, A. J. T. Janse; Japan, J. Umemura; A. Yasuda. 



Compare mcrassatus, concentricus, megaloma, Stevensii. 



Variations. Of the many specimens of this common plant we have seen 

 we have only four collections with yellow pore mouths. We hardly feel it worthy 

 of a separate name, though we think that biologically it is not the same as the usua'l 

 form with white pore mouths. 



Normally, Fomes leucophaeus is sessile, but when growing from roots or some 

 other abnormal position they develop fictitious stipes, as shown in Sturm's Icones, 

 fasc. 14, t. 63. We have two collections with lateral stipes that evidently grew 

 horizontal. As it extends South the tendency to produce stipe-like bases is more 

 pronounced, and we recently collected a small form in Florida with strong disposi- 

 tion in this direction. Finally we have it from Brazil, with a slender and distant 

 stipe, but another specimen of the same collection is subsessile. 



T SPECIMENS. South America, Leon Castillon, F. Theissen, Gus. Peckolt, Rev. Rick: Bahama?. 

 b. J. K. Brace. One from Rev. Rick has a small, slender, true stipe. The others are abnormally 

 stiped, we think. 



264 



