MYCOLOGIA 
VoL, V November, 1913 No. 6 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF FUNGI— XVI 
William A. Murrill 
(With Plates 102-108) 
The accompanying figures represent some of the tough and 
woody fungi known as polypores. Most of the species of this 
group grow on dead wood in brackets of various sizes and shapes, 
the fruiting surface being composed of tubes or furrows. Some- 
times the walls of these tubes split with age and the hymenium 
appears spiny, resembling the hydnums ; sometimes the furrows 
change with age to appear like gills. When the fruit-body is per- 
ennial, the tubes are often arranged in layers. The family may be 
divided into four groups, the resupinates, the annual poroid species, 
the perennial poroid species, and the agaric-like species. The 
resupinate species are difficult for the beginner ; some of the larger 
species of the other groups are comparatively easy. Polypores as 
a class are very destructive to trees and timber. On the other 
hand, one species possesses medicinal properties, some of the 
encrusted species supply tinder, and several of the more juicy ones 
are excellent for food if collected when young. The only species 
recognized as poisonous is the medicinal one. Fames Laricis, and 
it is so tough and bitter that no one would think of eating it. 
Coriolus versicolor (L.) Quel. 
Many-Colored Coriolus 
Plate 102 
Pileus densely imbricate, very thin, sessile, dimidiate, conchate, 
2-4 X 3-7 X o. 1-0.2 cm. ; surface smooth, velvety, shining, marked 
[Mycologia for September, 1913 (5: 257-286), was issued Oct. 4, 1913.] 
287 
