89 



SCHIZOPHYLLUM COMMUNE IN EAST YORKSHIRE. 



W. N. CHEESMAN, F.L.S., 

 Selhy. 



ScHizoPHYLLUM COMMUNE Fries is a rare fungus in England, 

 it is indigenous to tropical countries, but is occasionally found 

 here on imported logs. 



Berkeley says, ' I have seen this beautiful plant in profusion 

 on foreign wood, but I have never gathered truly British 

 specimens, which are extremely rare.' Mr. Crossland has kindly 

 furnished me with the following Yorkshire records : — 



1. Selby, 1878. In timber-yard. Dr. H. F. Parsons, 



Y.N.U. Trans., Pt. II. 



2. Steeton, 1886. On timber in wood-yard. W. West 



and H. T. Soppitt, Nat., February 1886. 



3. Liversedge, 1886. On imported timber, L. & Y. Rly. 



station. Rev. Wm. Fowler, M.A. 



4. Hebden Bridge, 1894. On dead sycamore trunk. 



J. Needham. 



5. Keighley, 1903. On hickory logs from Nova Scotia, 



in timber-yard. Thos. Hebden. 



The fungus grows from half to two inches across, of an 

 ashy-grey colour, thin and leathery, and with a slightly downy or 

 hairy surface. It is more or less fan-shaped, and attached by 

 a short side stem. Beneath, the gills radiate from the stem and 

 have split edges, which character marks the genus ^^''C^ ^ split, 

 and (fivkXov a leaf. 



A cross section shows the very curious revolute form of the 

 split gills. 



About a month ago my little daughter found in a wood-yard 

 here two or three small stunted specimens on an elm log, and 

 yesterday she brought home a handful of fine large plants with 

 the news that they were as plentiful as Stereum hirsutum. 

 I hurried to the spot and found several ash logs literally covered 

 with the fungus. The timber merchant informed me that he 

 had not a single foreign log in the yard, all being locally grown 

 timber, and the particular logs bearing the fungus were grown 

 in a wood in the parish of Hemingbrough, in the East Riding. 



1904 March i. 



