154 AGARICINI. 



Lentinus. morphic genus. The serrated or torn edge of the gills is a dis- 

 tinctive feature. 



I. MESOPODES (ju-eo-os, middle ; TTOVS, a foot). Pileus nearly entire. Stem 

 distinct. 



* Lepidei (Ae?, a scale). Pileus scaly. More or less manifestly veiled. 

 (In none of the following groups is there a veil.) 



'* Pulverulenti (pulvis, dust). Pileus villo-us or pulverulent. 

 *** Cochleati (cochlea, a snail-shell, lobed and twisted in shape). Pileus 

 smooth. 



II. PLEUROTI (irAevpov, a side ; o5s, an ear). Dimidiate, sessile or furnished 

 with a somewhat lateral stem. 



I. MESOPODES. 

 * Lepidei. Pileus scaly, &c. 



1. L. tigrinus Fr. Pileus commonly 5 cent. (2 in.) broad, 

 white, variegated with somewhat adpressed, blackish, hairy 

 squamules, fleshy-coriaceous, thin, commonly orbicular and cen- 

 tral, at first convexo-plane, nmbilicate, at length infundibuliform, 

 often split at the margin when dry. Stem about 5 cent. (2 in.) 

 long, thin, solid, very hard, commonly attenuated downwards, 

 minutely squamulose, whitish, often ascending and becoming 

 fuscous at the base, at first furnished at the apex with an entire 

 reflexed ring, which soon falls off. Gills decurrent (by no means 

 sinuate], narrow, crowded, unequal, toothed like a saw, white. 



Somewhat gregarious, even caespitose, thinner and more coriaceous and 

 regular than L. lepideus. B. wholly blackish with squamules. 



On old stumps. Rare. 



When fresh very tender and easily torn, when dry coriaceous. Sow. Smell 

 strong, acrid, like that of some Lactarii. M.J.B. Spores 3x7 mk. W.G.S. 

 Name tigrinus, tiger-like. From the marking on the pileus. Fr. Monogr. 

 ii. /. 233. Hym. Eur. p. 481. Berk. Out. p. 224. C. Hbk. n. 682. Ag. 

 Bull. t. 70. Sow. t. 68. Batt. t. 12. / B-D. 



* It. Dunalii Fr. Pileus pallid, with adpressed, separating, 

 spot-like scales, fleshy- coriaceous, thin, umbilicate, irregularly 

 shaped. Stem short, somewhat silky. Gills decurrent, crowded, 

 pallid. 



When the scales separate the pileus is even. Veil scarcely manifest. Very 

 much allied to L. tigrinus. 



On ash-trees. Rare. 



Csespitose. Pileus 2 in. broad, margin deflexed, sometimes variously split 

 and sinuated, yellow- white, with brownish rather close scales, margin nearly 

 smooth: gills dichotomous, crenate. Stem i in. high, 3 lin. thick, tough, the 

 lower part clothed with dark, nearly square, adpressed scales, the upper half 

 not scaly, white, resembling the under side of white kid leather. Odour sub- 



