THE POLYPORACEAE OF WISCONSIN. 33 



eulcate. The older parts are darker than the newer ones. The margin 

 in most cases is very obtuse sometimes lobed or wavy. The substance of 

 the pileus is composed of a fine-grained punk, rather lighter in color 

 than the substance in F. applanatus but firmer. The tubes are un- 

 equally sunk into the flesh, suggesting the habit of a Trametes. The 

 mouths of the pores are round, small, equal and frequently stuffed. The 

 dissepiments are obtuse. The surface of the hymenium is usually con- 

 cave. 



This species is regarded by Fries as the type of the genus and has long 

 been known for the excellent punk obtained from it. 



Related to F. applanatus, but distinguished by the thicker crust, hoof- 

 shaped pileus and the longer tubes. It is also quite distinct from its 

 other near allies, F. igniarius and F. nigricans. Both of the latter are 

 harder in substance and the color verges more towards the yellowish. 



Syn. : Elfvingia fomentaria (L.) Murr. ; 19, vol. 30, p. 298. 



Boletus ungulatus Bull. ; 7, tab. 491, fig. 2, C. D. E, and tab. 

 401. 



Fomes applanatus (Pers.) Wallrath (Plate IX, fig 31). 



Pileus dimidiate, flat, somewhat thickened behind, nodose, indistinctly 

 zoned, and sulcate, glabrate, or pulverulent, at first brown then gray 

 or ashen with a rigid but fragile crust ; context soft, flocculose ; margin 

 tumid ; pores very small, ferruginous, the moiiths whitish, brown when 

 rubbed. 



Localities: Horicon, Bangor, Sparta, Milwaukee, Algoma, Elkhorn, 

 Madison, Blanchardville (McKenna), Hazelhurst, Star Lake, Shana- 

 golden, Crandon, Ladysmith, Milwaukee, Dells (Holden). 



This is our commonest Fomes. Found chiefly on oak stumps, also on 

 trunks of poplar, basswood and elm. One small specimen was found 

 on a young and living apple tree at Horicon. The tree had been look- 

 ing sickly for the past two or three years, but I found no external 

 fungus growths upon it until a pileus of this species appeared on the 

 trunk. The heartwood of the tree is badly decayed and probably the 

 mycelium has been in the wood for some time. I also find pilei of this 

 fungus growing out of the base of living oak and cottonwood trees, 

 without apparently any effect on the trees. I find, however, that in 

 all of the cases examined the pilei arise in regions where the tree has 

 been wounded, but they do not always grow from the dead wood in such 

 places. The specimen which I took from the apple tree mentioned above 

 was attached to the living bark of the tree as though it was a parasite. 

 The pilei are also found on living willows. 



