CEYLON FUNGI, 
155 
l)a,se. The surface of the pileus is radially sulcate, the margin 
straight or lobed. The gills are distant, thin, sharp-edged, 
becoming rigid when old, of the same colour as the lower 
surface of the pileus ; the interstices are usually smooth. 
The spores are white and oval ; measurements on one set of 
specimens from Hakgala (5,600 feet) gave 5-8 X 3-4 [jt. ; on . 
another set from the same locality, 10-11 X 7 (x. 
The genus Anthracophyllum is popularly supposed to include 
species with split gills and black spores. It has, however, 
been known for some time that the specimens attributed to 
Anthracophyllum in herbaria had white spores ; in Herb. 
Kew, for example, the specimens are marked by Massee, 
‘‘ spores white.” The idea that the gill edge was split may 
have been derived from Cesati’s comparison with Schizo- 
phyllum, but there is no resemblance whatever to the latter 
genus ; the gill edges are acute and entire. In herbarium 
specimens the edge of the rigid gills is often broken by pressure, 
and this might give rise to the impression that it was split or 
channelled. But on the fresh specimens there is nothing to 
warrant a reference to Schizophyllum or Xerotus, The species 
is a F anus, and must be known as Panus melano'phyllus Fr. 
It may be noted that alcohol extracts a vivid red-brown 
colour ; and in herbaria in which the specimens are preserved 
by an alcoholic solution, this species usually betrays its 
location by the intense red-brown stains on the covers. 
108, — Hydnum mucidum P. 
This species was recorded for Ceylon by Berkeley and 
Broome, Fungi of Ceylon, 547. The collection on which 
they based the record, Thwaites 382, is in Herb. Kew and 
Herb. Peradeniya. Examination of fresh specimens shows 
that it bears a general resemblance to Hydnum mucidum only 
when dry. 
The species is totally resupinate, and spreads over the 
substratum in irregular broken patches. The subiculum is 
very thin, white or pallid, tomentose at the margin. The 
colour of the whole fungus is palßd to pale brown. It usually 
grows on a subvertical surface, and the spines curve down- 
wards ; they are up to 12 mm. long, and 1 mm. diameter. 
