Lloyd Mycological Writings V4.pdf - MykoWeb

This pamphlet is intended chiefly as an arrangement of the species, but we have
given notes of the distinctive characters, history and distribution, which we hope
will enable others to identify the plants they meet. At the same time we believe
that species can only be learned from specimens, and that the simplest way is to
send the specimens and have them named, and with the name known, one can read
up and learn the characters and the species much easier than to try to work out
their names first. I thought when I wrote the Stipitate Polyporoids it would be
practical for collectors to name their stipitate species from it, but it seems to me I
have since received more misnamed specimens (evidently from the use of this pamphlet)
than I did before the pamphlet was issued.
This pamphlet was written about a year ago at Kew, where one has the best
facilities for such work, not only the best collection of historical specimens, but the
best library, and the most conveniences of every kind. I wish to acknowledge the
kindness of Miss E. M. Wakefield for the sketches used in the work and for other
aid.
FIRST GENERAL DIVISION.
CONTEXT AND PORES WHITE OR PALE WHEN GROWING.
SPORES HYALINE.
We divide them into seven sections, as follows:
Pileus with thin but distinct crust Section 80.
Pileus without distinct crust.
Flesh (dry) fragile, crumbly
81.
Flesh hard, firm 82.
Very thin plants
83.
White, turning reddish in drying
84.
White, turning bluish in drying
85.
Flesh dry, soft, and cottony
86.
Flesh dry, light, and spongy
87.
SECTION 80. CRUST THIX BUT DISTINCT.
It having been overlooked in our previous pamphlet, we include here Polyporus quercinus which
in our text books is placed next to Polyporus betulinus. It is a stipitate plant, and should have been
placed in Section 12, Petaloides.
A. Flesh firm but fragile.
POLYPORUS BETULINUS (Fig. 631). Pileus thick, applanate,
obtuse, attached by a reduced base, or a short stipe, usually
about 5-6 inches in diameter, \y2 to 2 inches thick. Surface with a
smooth, thin, pale, separable crust, at length brown. Flesh white,
soft, but not friable. Pores minute, round, white, when dry slightly
darker than the context, 4-8 mic. long. Spores oblong, 2^ x 6,
hyaline, smooth.
Polyporus betulinus was so well named and figured by Bulliard
that there has never been any question about it, and it has been
universally known under this name. Of course, we do not count the
jugglers who would change it on a technicality. It is very common
both in Europe and America on living and dead birch, and on no other
host as far as we know. We have seen somewhere a record of its occur-
ring on another host, but \ve cannot place it. It seems to be replaced
in Australia by Polyporus Eucalyptorum, very similar excepting as to
spores.
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