FLESHY AND WOODY FUNGI 223 



phores are fleshy, leathery, cartilaginous, or waxy. The basidia are 

 clavate, interspersed with cystidia and bear one to four sterigmata. 



PistUlaria, Typhula, Clavaria and Sparassis are important genera. 

 Many of the species of Clavaria are edible (Fig. 86), but some of them 

 are tough and leathery. The color varies, as noted in the enumeration 

 of common American species given below: 



C^onaria ^a»a (pale yellow) (Fig. 86). 



Clavaria aurea (golden). 



Clavaria hotrytes (red- tipped). 



Clavaria cristata (crested). 



Clavaria cinerea (ashen). 



Clavaria aurantio-cinnabarino (orange-red). 



Sparassis crispa, a common species, has its hymenial ridges pro- 

 jecting and much convolute, suggesting a mammalian brain. It is too 

 tough to be edible. 



Family 6. HYDNACE.a;. — The highest forms of this family possess 

 the form of a mushroom, while others are sessUe and are resupinate, 

 others without a distinct cap are efifused. The hymenium is spread 

 over with persistent bristles, teeth, tubercles or spines. The most 

 important genera are Phlebia, Radulum, Grandinia Irpex and Hydnum 

 (Fig. 87). The edible forms are included in the last two genera. 

 The forms of Hydnum, are extremely variable. The highest forms, 

 such as Hydnum repandum, have a cap with a central stipe, while 

 in other forms it is lateral, or absent. In some of the lower forms, 

 the pileus is resupinate. Projecting spines are covered with the 

 hymenial surfaces. A rot of hardwoods in America is due to Hyd- 

 num coralloides. H. diversidens with its yellowish- white sporophore 

 takes the form of an incrustation, or bracket with downward-projecting 

 spines of unequal length. The hymenium renews itself by a new 

 hymenium growing through the old one. It causes a decay of timber 

 known as white rot. Hartig gives a careful description of it, as it occurs 

 in Europe. H. caput-ursi is a bracket form growing as excrescences on 

 living oak trees with its pendulous spines at first white, then becoming 

 yellowish and brownish. H. caput-meduscB has pendulous tufts of 

 white to gray spines and is found on elms and oak trees. The spiny 

 character of H. erinaceum (Fig. 87) suggests a hedgehog, hence its 

 specific name. The last three are fleshy and edible. Irpex differs 

 from Hydnum in having the spines connected at the base, and in 



