TUBE-BEARING FUNGI. 193 



times placed in the genus Trametes under the same specific name. 

 Polystictus pergamenus Fr., is another common one growing on wood of 

 various trees. It is thin and very pliant when fresh, somewhat 

 tomentose above when young, with faint bands, and the tubes are 

 often violet or purple color, and they soon become deeply torn and 

 lacerate so that they resemble the teeth of certain of the hedgehogf ungi. 



Polyporus lucidus (Leys.) Fr. \_Fomes lucidus (Leys.) Fr.] 

 This species is a very striking one because of the bright red or chest- 

 nut color, the hard and brittle crust over the surface of the cap, which 

 has usually the appearance of having been varnished. It grows on 

 trunks, logs, stumps, etc., in woods or groves. The cap is 5-20 cm. 

 in diameter, and the stem is 5-20 cm. long, and 1-2 cm. in thickness. 

 The stem is attached to one side of the pileus so that the pileus is 

 lateral, though the stem is more or less ascending. 



The cap is first yellowish when young, then it becomes blood red, 

 then chestnut color. The stem is the same color, and the tubes are 

 not so bright in color, being a dull brown. The substance of the 

 plant is quite woody and tough when mature. When dry it is soon 

 attacked and eaten by certain insects, which are fond of a number of 

 fungi, so that they are difficult to preserve in good condition in her- 

 baria without great care. 



The surface of the pileus is quite uneven, wrinkled, and coarsely 

 grooved, the margin sometimes crenate, especially in large speci- 

 mens. Figure 188 represents the plant growing on a large hemlock 

 spruce stump in the woods. The surface character of the caps and 

 the general form can be seen. This photograph was taken near 

 Ithaca, N. Y. 



Polyporus applanatus (Pers.) Fr. [Fomes applanatus (Pers.) Wailr.] 

 This plant is also one of the very common woody Polyporace(^. 

 It grows on dead trunks, etc., and sometimes is found growing 

 from the wounds of living trees. It is very hard and woody. It 

 has a hard crust, much harder than that of the Polyporus lucidus. 

 The surface is more or less marked by concentric zones which mark 

 off the different years' growth, for this plant is perennial. At cer- 

 tain seasons of the year the upper surface is covered with a powdery 

 substance of a reddish brown color, made up of numerous colored 

 spores or conidia which are developed on the upper surface of this 

 plant in addition to the smaller spores developed in the tubes on the 

 under surface. 



The plant varies in size from 5-20 cm. or more in diameter, and 

 i-io cm. in thickness, according to the rapidity of growth and the age 

 of the fungus. The fruiting surface is white, and the tubes are very 



