-6 mm. broad. The cap and gills are tough
even when fresh. The plant has an intensely pungent taste.

Figures 131, 132 represent an upper, front, and under view of the pilei
(No. 3315, C. U. herbarium).

[Illustration: PLATE 42, FIGURE 131.--Lentinus vulpinus. The coarse,
hairy scales are black in old plants, paler, of a smoky hue, in younger
ones (natural size). Copyright.]

=Lentinus lecomtei= Fr., is a very common and widely distributed species
growing on wood. When it grows on the upper side of logs the pileus is
sometimes regular and funnel-shaped (cyathiform), but it is often
irregular and produced on one side, especially if it grows on the side
of the substratum. In most cases, however, there is a funnel-shaped
depression above the attachment of the stem. The =pileus= is tough,
reddish or reddish brown or leather color, hairy or sometimes strigose,
the margin incurved. The =stem= is usually short, hairy, or in age it
may become more or less smooth. The =gills= are narrow, crowded, the
spores small, ovate to elliptical 5--6 x 2--3 mu. According to Bresadola
this is the same as _Panus rudis_ Fr. It resembles very closely also
_Panus cyathiformis_ (Schaeff.) Fr., and _P. strigosus_ B. & C.

=Lentinus lepideus= Fr., [_L. squamosus_ (Schaeff.) Schroet.] is another
common and widely distributed species. It is much larger than _L.
lecomtei_, whitish with coarse brown scales on the cap. It is 12--20 cm.
high, and the cap is often as broad. The stem is 2--8 cm. long and 1--2
cm. in thickness. It grows on wood.

[Illustration: FIGURE 132.--Lentinus vulpinus, front and under view
(natural size). Copyright.]

=Lentinus stipticus= (Bull.) Schroet. (_Panus stipticus_ Bull.) is a
very small species compared with the three named above. It is, however,
a very common and widely distributed one, growing on wood, and may be
found the year around. The pileus is 1--3 cm. in diameter, whitish or
grayish, very tough, expanded in wet weather, and curled up in dry
weather. The stem is very short, and attached to one side of the cap.
When freshly developed the plant is phosphorescent.

SCHIZOPHYLLUM Fr.

This is a very interesting genus, but the species are very few. The
plants are tough, pliant when fresh, and dry. The gills are very
characteristic, being split along the edge and generally strongly
revolute, that is, the split edges curve around against the side of the
gill. This character can be seen sometimes with the aid of