116 THE POLYPORACEAE OF WISCONSIN. 



ovate to ellipsoidal, smooth hyaline, not abundant, 3 to 4 by 5 to 7 mic- 

 stipe short, thick, central, tapering, and attached at the base, 

 sooty-black up to the pores, 4 by 2.5 cm.; context milk-white, firm, 

 fleshy-tough, surface minutely tomentose, rugose-reticulate when dry. 



Algoma (Dodge,) August 15, 1909. The specimen figured was iden- 

 tified by Murrill. 



Polyporus picipes Fries (Plate XIV, fig. 52). 



Pileus fleshy, becoming rigid, thin, glabrous, smooth; depressed be- 

 hind; stipe excentric or lateral, firm, at first velutinous, then naked, 

 punctate, black to thin, small, white then yellowish or gilvous. 



" Distinguished from Polyporus varius by the even pileus and velvety 

 stem" (17, p. 235). 



Common on willow trunks, living and dead, and on oak and maple 

 logs. Localities: The Dells (Holden), Blue Mounds, Blanchardville, 

 Madison, Elkhorn, Horicon, Algoma, Milwaukee, Bangor, Sparta, Cran- 

 don, Ladysmith, Star Lake, Palmyra, Shanagolden. 



The largest specimen 18 cm. in diameter, 1 to 2 mm. thick ; the stipe 

 4 to 6 cm. long and from 0.5 to 1.5 cm. thick. 



The thickness of the pileus is variable. The thinnest pilei are scarcely 

 1mm. in thickness, and the thickest is 1.2 cm. When dry the pileus is 

 thin, hard, brittle, dark-brown, with spots or granules; the margin is 

 sharp, usually undulate and often lobed. Towards the margin the color 

 becomes lighter, whereas, the disk is almost black. 



The color of the hymenium varies from straw-color to dark yellow. 

 The pores are very small, round, equal ; dissepiments thin ; tubes short, 

 usually more decurrent on one side of the stipe. 



The stipe is thickest at the base ; firm, black, more or less velvety, de- 

 pending on their age and stage of growth, being more so when young 

 and growing vigorously; usually punctate. 



Distinguished from P. varius by the velvety stipe, the subglobose 

 spores, and the pileus which in the latter is streaked; P. elegans is 

 smaller, not depressed and lighter in color. 



Polyporus varius (Pers.) Wint. 



Pileus variable in form, tough, fleshy soon becoming woody, thin, 

 smooth, slightly streaked; stipe excentric lateral or wanting, smooth, 

 becoming grayish-black below. Pores decurrent small, shallow, round 

 unequal, at first whitish then brownish. 



Not rare. Shanagolden, Star Lake and Kewaunee County (Dodge). 



