DIBLE.

[Illustration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 180.--Panus torulosus.]

Torulosus means a tuft of hair. The pileus is two to three inches broad,
fleshy, then tough, coriaceous; plane, then funnel-shaped, or dimidiate;
even; smooth; almost flesh color, varying to reddish-livid, sometimes
violet tinted.

The gills are decurrent, rather distant, distinct behind, separate,
simple, ruddy, then tan-colored.

The stem is short, stout, oblique, gray, covered with a violaceous down.
The spores are 6x3u.

The plant is variable both in form and color. Sometimes shaded very
slightly with pink. It is not very common here. I found some very fine
specimens growing on a log near Spider Bridge, Chillicothe.

It is edible but quite tough.

_Panus levis. B. & C._

THE LIGHT PANUS. EDIBLE.

Levis, light. Pileus two to three inches broad, orbicular, somewhat
depressed, white, covered with a dense mat of hair; margin inflexed and
marked by triangular ridges.

The gills are broad, entire, decurrent.

The stem is two to three inches long, attenuated upward, eccentric,
lateral, solid, hairy below like the pileus. The spores are white.

This certainly is a very beautiful plant and will hold the attention of
the collector. It is not common with us. I have found it only on hickory
logs. It is said to be of good flavor and to cook readily.

_Lentinus. Fr._

Lentinus means tough. The pileus is fleshy, corky, tough, hard and dry,
reviving when moist.

The stem is central or lateral and often wanting, but when present is
continuous with the cap.

The gills are tough, unequal, thin, normally toothed, decurrent more or
less, margin acute. The spores are smooth, white, orbicular.

All the species, so far as I know, grow on wood. They assume a great
variety of forms. This genus is very closely related to Panus in the
dry, coriaceous nature of the pileus and the gills, but it can be
readily recognized by the toothed margin of the gills.

_Lentinus vulpinus. Fr._

STRONG-SCENTED VULPINUS.

[Illustration: Plate XXVI. Figure 181.--Lentinus vulpinus.

One-third natural size.]

Vulpinus is from _vulpes_, a fox.

This is quite a large, massive plant, growing in a sessile and
imbricated manner. It has appeared in large quantities 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 e