POLYSTICTUS. 215 



■ Polyporus gossypinus, Leveille, Ann. Sci. Nat., 1843, p. 124 ; 

 Stev., Brit. Fung., p. 209. 



On trunks, furze stems, &o. Tubes very irregular, some- 

 times almost resembling plates or teeth, three or four times 

 as long as the thickness of the flesh of the pileus. 



Polystictus abietinus. Fr. 



Pileus thin, coriaceous, flaccid, effuso-reflexed, or sometimes 

 entirely resupinate, sUky-villose, greyish-white or with an 

 ochraceous tinge, indistinctly zoned ; pores shallow, unequal ; 

 dissepiments torn, violet, becoming pale ; spores elliptic- 

 oblong, 4 X 1 • 5 /A. 



Polyporus abietinus. Fries, Syst. Myc. i. p. 370 ; Stev., 

 Brit. Fung., p. 211. 



On trunks of decaying fir-trees. Pilei 2-3 in. long, often 

 much more, and in many instances more or less completely 

 covering the trunk, either completely resupinate, with the 

 margin variously lobed, owing to the confluence of several 

 individuals, or with the upper margin more or less reflexed, 

 and then often densely imbricated. Pores ^-1 mm. in length, 

 much torn, violet, then bleached. 



Plants often growing in so crowded a manner as to cover 

 a considerable extent of surface. Pileus circular, entire, or 

 somewhat lobed, about 2 in. in breadth, thin, coriaceous, re- 

 supinate at first, at length sometimes reflexed and undulate 

 at the margin, villose, whitish, more or less impressed with 

 obscure narrow zones. Hymenium at first of a pale violet 

 colour, becoming brownish in the centre. Pores while 

 young roundish, entire, short, quickly assuming an irregular 

 lacerate and sinuous form. The first commencement of this 

 beautiful species is a minute plane tuft of radiating, silky 

 filaments, which begins to show a few central, roundish, 

 entire pores, while scarcely i in. in breadth ; in maturity, 

 the pores become torn and toothed in every direction, and 

 often entirely lose the character of a Polyporus, except at the 

 extreme margin, where they commonly preserve their generic 

 character. In decay the white of the pileus becomes tinged 

 with green, the whole plant dries up, and the pores quite lose 

 their violet colour. (Grev.) 



Polystictus Wynnei. B. & Br. 

 Pileus coriaceous, effuso-reflexed, silky, variously inorust- 



