THE POLYPOBACEAE OF WISCONSIN. 93 



The species is not very common. One specimen was found at Madi- 

 son, one at Crandon, seyeral at Oakfield on sticks and stumps; one at 

 Horicon growing at tlie bae of a dead oak trunk, and one at Bangor 

 growing under an old sidewalk. This latter specimen was perhaps of 

 the small white variety forma minor et aliida as described by Bresa- 

 dola. 



Largest specimens about 6 cm. wide, 4 cm. long and 1 — 2^ cm. thick. 

 In color they are of a pale bluish gray, with a rough surface. Only 

 the young specimens can be called silky; the older ones are glabrate. 

 The flesh is whitish, soft and moist when fresh, corky when dry. The 

 pores are medium and not flexuous in all the specimens. 



The species seems to be closely related to P. sordidus Cke., and 

 P. tepJiroleucus. It is distinguished from both by the tendency to be- 

 come bluish or greenish blue when bruised. In some specimens this 

 change in color, however, is slight. It probably depends upon the age 

 and conditiion of the specimen ; the younger and more active the stage 

 of growth, the greater is the change in color. The small white specimen 

 (forma minor et alhida Bres.) changed very distinctly to a greenish 

 blue. 



Pol3rporu3 sordidus Cooke. 



Pileus fleshy-soft, firm, pulvinate, attenuated behind, finely velvety 

 sordid-fuliginous, glabrate around the margin; context white; subzo- 

 nate; tubules medium, 5 mm. long; pores white, unequal angular, 0.'25 

 to 0.5 mm. ; dissepiments thin, entire. 



On trunks of old trees. Pileus 4 to 5 cm. in diameter, 2.5 cm. thick. 



Rare. Only a few specimens were collected at Horicon on a very 

 rotten log. The largest of these was about 2 cm. broad, 2.5 cm. long 

 and 1 cm. thick. The surface is gray, rough and little if any silky. 

 The pileus is convex above and below and narrowed at the base. The 

 pores are small, roundish, fairly equal, short, whitish. The flesh is 

 whitish, of a cheesy consistency and usually infested with larvae. 

 When fresh the pileus gives out a vile odor. 



Morgan (18 VIII, p. 106) tfiinks this is only a form of P. tephroleu- 

 cus, as he says in a letter. However, it may be distinguished from that 

 species by its grayish color, smaller size and the disagreeable odor. 

 Still it is possible that the odor is due to the larvae which usually in- 

 fest it. 



