CONTEXT AND PORES COLORED. 



POLYPORUS FUSCUS. This is quite close to the preceding 

 plant, and is best characterized in contrast. Polyporus benzoinus 

 grows on Abies, has metallic, bluish bands on pileus, is strongly hispid 

 when young, has firm, well-formed pores. Spores not found in dried 

 specimens, 2 x 4-6. Polyporus fuscus grows on beech and frondose 

 wood, rarely has metallic bands, is finely tomentose, has soft, collapsing 

 pores, and spores 2 x 8-10, abundant in dried specimens. They are so 

 similar that some hold them to be the same ; and if our knowledge was 

 based on a few herbarium specimens, they would be the same species 

 for us. But we know them both from abundant fresh collections, and 

 the points of difference are constant. 



Polyporus fuscus grows in quantities in the United States, often covering the 

 sides of logs. 'It develops late in the season; about the first of October we begin to 

 notice it, and during the month it becomes the most abundant Polyporus in our 

 woods. It freely exudes drops of water under proper climatic conditions. In Europe 

 it is known principally from the writings. Every word of Fries' description was 

 applicable. He records it as frequent, and the figure he cites, Flo. Dan. t. 1138, is 

 very good. But, like the Dodo, it appears to be extinct in Europe now. At least 

 we know no one who has collected it recently, and have only seen one specimen in 

 any European museum, viz., an old collection by Blytt at the British Museum, and 

 that is not certain. 



This is the frondose analogue of Polyporus benzoinus. The legal name for it 

 is Polyporus resinosus, but there are two serious objections to following the law. 

 First, it is not resinous, and second, it is evidently not the plant that was so named. 

 The plant has been known in American mythology 7 generally as Polyporus resinosus, 

 taken from Berkeley's traditions, and we have heretofore so called it (under protest, 

 cfr., Myc. Notes, p. 490, Note 19). Polyporus fuscus is the name that Persoon evi- 

 dently applied to the preceding plant and this combined, if he knew this, considering 

 them one species. He referred (in error, evidently) Polyporus resinosus as a syno- 

 nym on the vague record of Schrader. Fries took Persoon's synonym and changed 

 Persoon's name on Persoon's synonym and the sacred law of priority, inaccurately 

 and inappropriately in this case at least. We like to follow the law and custom as 

 much as possible, but this is an instance so rank that w r e should prefer to be an out- 

 law. Polyporus resinosus, we believe, was originally that strongly resinous plant now 

 called Fomes laccatus, and it was unknown to both Persoon and Fries, in their writ- 

 ings. Fries had the plant from Quelet. (Cfr. Synopsis Fomes, p. 284). 



ILLUSTRATIONS. Flora Dan., t. 1138, very good. Rostk., t. 29, poor if correct. 

 SPECIMENS. Many, all from United States. 

 Compare resinosus, rubiginosus, stillativus. 



POLYPORUS RUTILANS (Fig. 674). Pileus sessile, applanate 

 (4x5x1-2 cm.), unicolorous, pinkish cinnamon. Surface dull, con- 

 colorous, smooth. Flesh soft, friable when dry, concolorous. Pores 

 small, round when young, at length large and irregular, 1-5 mm. long. 

 Spores subglobose, 3^-4 mic., smooth. 



This is a common plant in France, and is perhaps the most 

 frequent Polyporus we found at Fontainebleau. In England, Sweden, 

 and America it is less common. Berkeley did not record it in his first 

 account of English species. Around Cincinnati we make a few col- 

 lections every season, but it is rather rare. It is a plant that changes 

 but little in drying. Persoon gave a good illustration of it, and I think 



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