T H E 
HEW PHYTOhOGIST. 
Vol. XII, No. 8. October, 1913. 
[Published October 25th, 1913.] 
ON POLYPORUS SQUAMOSUS HUDS. 
By S. Reginald Price, B.A., 
Frank Smart Student in Botany in the University and 
Late Scholar of Clare College , Cambridge. 
[With Plate VI and Four Figures in the Text]. 
Introduction. 
P OLYPORUS SQUAMOSUS Huds., known popularly as the 
“Great Scaly Polyporus,” the “Saddle-back Fungus” (6) 
or the “ Dryad’s Saddle” (13, p. 101), is one of the best known of 
tree-destroying fungi. It is frequent throughout Europe and occurs 
in America. Although it is probably commonest on the various 
Elms, it is found on many species of Dicotyledonous trees. No 
record of it on Conifers is to be found. The fruit bodies are produced 
from May to September' and vary greatly in size. Of the obser¬ 
vations which have been made on the biology of this species, the 
most important are embodied in papers by Buller (6), also in the same 
author’s “ Researches on Fungi” (7), and by Mr. F. T. Brooks (3). 
The Present Observations. It was suggested to me by Mr. F. T. 
Brooks that certain points in the biology of Polyporus squatnosus 
required investigation, especially with regard to the methods of 
infection in nature and to the destruction of wood in pure culture. 
A few cultures obtained by him in the summer of 1911, by placing 
fresh spores on the surfaces of sterilised Elm wood blocks, were 
handed over to me. The results of these investigations are here 
described. The fungus has not previously been grown in pure 
culture on wood blocks (11). 
* After the wet summer of 1912, followed by a mild autumn, fruit-bodies 
were found on November 15th at the Botanic Gardens, Cambridge. 
