This is quite a large, ma.s.sive plant, growing in a sessile and imbricated manner. It has appeared in large quant.i.ties for the past four years on an elm, very slightly decayed, but in quite a damp and dark place. The reader will get some idea of the size of the whole plant in Figure 181 if he will consider each pileus to be five to six inches broad. They are built up one on top of another, overlapping each other like shingles on a roof.

The pileus is fleshy but tough, sh.e.l.l-shaped, connate behind, longitudinally rough, costate, corrugate, tan-colored, and the margin is strongly incurved.

The gills are broad, nearly white, flesh-colored near the base, coa.r.s.ely toothed.

The stem is usually obsolete, yet in some cases it is apparent.

The spores are almost round and very small, .00006 inch in diameter. In all plants which I have found the odor is somewhat strong and the taste is pungent. It grows in the woods in September and October.

_Lentinus lepideus. Fr._

THE SCALY LENTINUS. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 182.--Lentinus lepideus.]

Lepideus is from _lepis_, a scale.

The pileus is fleshy, compact, convex, then depressed, unequal, broken up in dark scales, flesh white, tough.

The gills are sinuate, decurrent, broad, torn, transversely striate, whitish, or with white edges, irregularly toothed.

The stem is stout, central or lateral, tomentose or scaly, often crooked, rooting, whitish, solid, equal or tapering at the base.

This is a peculiar plant, growing sometimes to immense forms. It grows on wood, seemingly to be partial to railroad ties to which its mycelium is very injurious. I found the plant frequently about Salem, Ohio. The specimens in the halftone were found near Akron, Ohio, and photographed by Prof. Smith. As an esculent it almost rivals the Pleuroti. It is found from spring to autumn. I found a beautiful cl.u.s.ter on an oak stump near Chillicothe, while looking for Morels, about the last of April.

_Lentinus cochleatus. Fr._

THE SPIRAL-FORMED LENTINUS. EDIBLE.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 183.--Lentinus cochleatus.]

Cochleatus is from _cochlea_, a snail, from resembling its sh.e.l.l.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, tough, flaccid, irregular, depressed, sometimes funnel-shaped, sometimes lobed or contorted, flesh-color, becoming pale.

The gills are crowded, beautifully serrated, pinkish-white.

The stem is solid, length variable, sometimes central, frequently eccentric, often lateral, smooth. The spores are nearly round, 4.

This is a beautiful plant but sparingly found with us. I found a pretty cl.u.s.ter at the foot of a maple stump in Poke Hollow. The serrated form of the gills will attract attention at once. It is found in August and September.

_Lenzites. Fr._

Lenzites, named after Lenz, a German botanist. The pileus is corky, dimidiate, sessile. The gills are corky, firm, unequal, branched, edge obtuse. It is very common in the woods, sometimes almost covering stumps and logs.

_Lenzites betulina. Fr._

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Plate XXVII. Figure 184.--Lenzites betulina.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 185.--Lenzites betulina.]

Betulina, from _betula_, a birch. This has a somewhat corky, leathery cap, firm and without zones, woolly, sessile, deeply grooved concentrically, margin of the same color.

The gills are radial, somewhat branching, and coming together again, sordid white or tan-color.

This species is wide-spread and is quite variable. It grows in the form of brackets. Figure 185 was photographed by Dr. Kellerman.

_Lenzites separia. Fr._

THE CHOCOLATE LENZITES.

The pileus is corky, leathery sh.e.l.ls, with the upper surface marked with rough zones of various shades of brown; margin yellowish.

The gills are rather thick, branched, one running into another; yellowish. Stem obsolete. Growing on limbs and branches, especially of the fir tree.

_Lenzites flaccida. Fr._

FLACCID LENZITES.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 186.--Lenzites flaccida. Two-thirds natural size.]

Flaccida means limp, flaccid. Pileus is coriaceous, thin, flaccid, unequal, hairy, zoned, pallid, more or less flabelliform, imbricated.

The gills are broad, crowded, straight, unequal, branched, white, becoming pallid. Spores are 57.

This is a very attractive plant and quite common. It runs almost imperceptibly into Lenzites betulina. It is found on stumps and trunks.

_Lenzites vialis. Pk._

Pileus is corky, almost woody, firm, zoned.

Gills are thick, firm, serpentine.

Stem, none.

_Schizophyllum. Fr._