INTRODUCTION TO PART II. 
Tlie First Part of the Handbook on the Toadstools and Mushrooms and other 
Larger Fungi of South Australia contained a systematic account of the gill- 
forming, mostly fleshy, fungi included in tlie Agarioaceae belonging to the 
Basidiomycetales. Tlie Second Part deals in sequence with the remaining fungi 
included in the scope of this work and completes the Handbook. The description 
of the Basidiomycetales is continued, dealing firstly with the pore-forming fungi 
(the Polyporaoeae) which comprise the fleshy putrescent stalked Boleti, 
resembling the agarics but with the spore-bearing surface in the form of tubes 
instead of gills, and the firmer, non-putrescent, leathery, corky or even woody, 
sometimes perennial, polypores of such genera as Pomes, Polyporus and 
Trametes. 
Some of the Boleti, such as Boletus luteus and B. granulatus, are edible. 
These two species are also of interest as they only occur under or near species 
of Pitius, and, by means of their mycelial strands, may perhaps be found to 
have an association with the rootlets of the trees or seedlings which may be 
of advantage to the latter. Certain of the Boleti, when cut across, show a rapid 
change of colour on the exposed surface, from white or palliil to blue, green, 
reddish, yellow^ or dingy brown, due to the injury setting free ferments which 
cause rapid oxidation with the formation of coloured compounds. Bruising also 
may give rise to these changes. Borne Boleti are highly coloured, and the 
colouring is often of a lurid type, suggesting, one hardly knoivvs why, that the 
fungus in question is poisonous. Boletus Batanas of Europe perliaps getting its 
name in this way. The stem in some instances is reticulated with lines wdiich 
may be red or the reticulations may be raised presenting a lacunose appearance. 
The species of Pomes are perennial, often large, hard and woody, hoof-shaped 
or plate-like bracket fungi growing on the bases of trees or on dead stumi)s and 
logs. Some are responsible for heart-rots of living trees, causing loss in forestry 
operations. Being perennial, tliey may be responsible each year after autumnal 
rains for distributing millions of spores, an occasional one of which may lodge 
in a suitable position to grow-, as where a branch has recently broken off. 
Ganoderma is chai'acterised by a laccate crust and brown truncate spores. Tlie 
species may be sessile or stalked. G. opplanaUim. may form very large plate-like 
brackets. 
In the genus Polyporus, some species iiave a stem and cap and others form 
merely lateral brackets. We liave several interesting stalked species whicli possess 
large underground true or false sclerotia, sometimes as large as a child’s head 
and pounds in weight, from wdiich after autumn rains tlie fruiting body emerges. 
The so-called “native bread” (there seems doubt as to wdiether the natives 
could have eaten tliis tough material) is such an underground store-house, from 
which arises a white stem and pileus, the latter with egg-yolk coloured patches 
on it, the fungus being called Polyporus mylittae. The ‘ ‘ stone-making fungus, ’ ’ 
P. iHisilapiloides, of our mallee areas, has a similar sclerotium and a pale- 
brownish cap with reticulations on it. Punk, the bracket of P. eucalyptoriim, 
grow'S high up on several species of Eucalypts, the po, re-bearing surface being a 
beautiful lemon-vellow when fresh. The stalked species are commoner on the 
ground, often growing from buried fragments of wood, and the bracket forms 
on fallen or upright trunks. 
The species of Polystictus are thin, pliant and leathery-firm, and often elegant 
in colour and shape, some being stalked and others forming brackets. P. 
versicolor with bands of grey and brown is very common. In Trametes, the tubes 
are set at varying depths in the substance of the bracket. The vermilion- 
coloured T. cinnaharina is very common on dead wood. The small hoof-shaped 
T. ochroleuca, with ochraceous tints, is common on fence posts and rails. 
T. lilacino-gilva, of a beautiful lilac colour on the under-surface, brownish with 
a lilac tinge on the upper-surface, is also common and has been responsible 
apparently for decay in sleepers in some of our mallee districts. 
In the genus Poria, the pore-bearing surface is spread out on the substratum, 
usually wood. We have a number of species, some of which play a part in the 
destruction of timber. 
