12 THE DECAY OF TIES IN STORAGE 



curved, as the cap must always orient itself so that it is horizontal, 

 with the gills pointing downward. 



The fungus grows in clusters and was noted several times on 

 beech and red oak ties, growing from the heartwood, which was ap- 

 parently rotted in the standing tree. It is not serious in storage yards 

 since, as a rule, such heart-rotted ties are culled in the woods. 



LENTINUS LEPIDEUS 

 (Plate VIII, Fig. 2) 



This is one of the large mushrooms which mainly grows on timber 

 in contact with the ground. It is tough, fleshy-fibrous, with a central 

 scaly stem and is white throughout, except that the cap is covered with 

 brownish scales. It occurs abundantly over the United States, appear- 

 ing especially prevalent in regions with sandy soil, where it frequently 

 grows out of ties or other structural timbers at or near the ground 

 line. In the dark it produces sterile "stag-horn" growths. 



It is limited to coniferous wood, where it rots both heart and sap- 

 wood of many species vigorously. 



PANUS STIPTICUS 

 (Plate VII, Fig. 4) 



This is one of the smaller gill fungi. It usually grows in dense 

 clusters and rarely projects out more than half an inch from the 

 surface of the wood. It is of a grayish to tan color, somewhat scurfy 

 on the upper surface, and is thin and flexible, with a short lateral stem. 

 Like nearly all the leathery or corky species, it can revive repeatedly 

 after periods of drying and form new crops of spores. 



It is not very prevalent on stored ties, and was only found produc- 

 ing a sap-rot in red oak. 



SCHIZOPHYLLUM COMMUNE 



(Plate VI, Figs. 5-10) 



This is a very characteristic fungus with which there is no danger 

 of confusing any other. It may grow on almost any kind of wood, and 

 is abundant on conifers as well as hardwoods. It grows in the form 

 of small shelves, usually not projecting out more than an inch. The 

 fruit-bodies are often more or less wedge-shaped or fan-shaped, taper- 

 ing to a narrow point of attachment. They are thin and flexible, like 

 soft leather when moist, white or grayish tinged, densely clothed with 

 short hairs above and provided with distinct radiating gills beneath, 

 which may vary from a buff to pale slate gray in color. These gills 

 are very characteristic, being split longitudinally along the edge, the 

 halves curling back like a slit dandelion stem. 



The spores of the fungus readily enter season checks and produce 

 a crop of fruit-bodies in a very short time. In two samples of persim- 

 mon ties collected the fungus was associated with a marked bleaching 

 of the dark wood and in certain areas a marked softening and disin- 

 tegration of the substance, indicating that the fungus is apparently 



