36 



2. Pileus hairy or strigose. Criniti. 



Pileus scaly. Lepidei. 



Pileus pulverulent. Pulverulenti (see Criniti in following keys). 



Pileus glabrous, lobed, unequal. Cochleati. 



Pileus glabrous, regular. Cornucopioides. 



There are some reasons for considering the Criniti as the typical 

 section of the genus and when it comes to be divided, as it doubt- 

 less will be, the name should probably be retained for this section, 

 which constitutes a very homogeneous group of mostly tropical 

 species. They are all thin, deeply depressed to infundibuliform 

 and have a conspicuous hairy vestiture. The Pulverulenti agree 

 closely with this section and so far as the North American species 

 are concerned should be united with it as has been done in the 

 following keys. These species differ only in a somewhat shorter 

 vestiture, but they are distinctly velvety with close short hairs, 

 not truly pulverulent. 



The Lepidei constitute another homogeneous group having 

 little in common with the Criniii, In these the pileus is thick and 

 fleshy though firm and rather tough and the shape is convex 

 rather than depressed but usually with the center umbilicate. 

 The surface of the pileus usually breaks into more or less con- 

 spicuous innate scales. In the young state there is a distinct 

 cortina covering the lamellae but this disappears without leaving 

 an annul us on the stem. 



The Cochleati are many of them densely cespitose. They are 

 comparable to the cespitose section of Clitocybe. Neither this 

 section nor the Cornucopioides are well defined homogeneous 

 groups like the other two. The species now assigned to the 

 Plenroti and Resupinati will probably ultimately be assigned to 

 Pleurotus and Partus, where they seem to be more closely related 

 than to the other well-defined groups of Lcntinus. 



Key to the Species of Lentinus 

 Section Criniti (including Pulverulenti) 



1. Pileus regular ; stipe central. 2 

 Pileus irregular; stipe often excentric. 26 



2. Pileus strigose or villous or the margin ciliate. 3 

 Pileus velvety (Pulverulenti). 25 



3. Hairs of the pileus free, not fascicled. 4 

 Hairs of the pileus more or less fascicled. 13 



