Common to the states.
Professor Peck writes to me: “This plant, by reason of its rather tough substance, has commonly been referred to Lentinus, under the name L. Lecomtei Schw., but this reference is scarcely satisfactory to me, since the edge of the lamellæ is scarcely at all serrate as required by that genus. It seems to me it would go better under the genus Panus. It is variable—sometimes eccentric or even lateral. It is sometimes called Lentinus strigosus, but I do not think the two are distinct species, however distinct they may be in form.” February 26, 1894.
Like all Lentinus the present species is rather tough, yet chopped into small pieces, well cooked and seasoned, it is quite equal to P. ostreatus and many others of high renown.
Lentinus tigrinus.
About one-half natural size.
L. tigri´nus Fr.—tigris, a tiger. From the markings. Pileus commonly 2 in. broad, white, variegated with somewhat adpressed, blackish, hairy squamules, fleshy-coriaceous, thin, commonly orbicular and central, at first convexo-plane, umbilicate, at length funnel-shaped, often split at the margin when dry. Stem about 2 in. long, thin, solid, very hard, commonly attenuated downward, minutely squamulose, whitish, often ascending and becoming dingy-brown at the base, at first furnished at the apex with an entire reflexed ring, which soon falls off. Gills decurrent (by no means sinuate), narrow, crowded, unequal, toothed like a saw, white.
Somewhat gregarious, even cespitose, thinner and more coriaceous and regular than L. lepideus B., wholly blackish with squamules. Fries.
On old stumps. Rare. Stevenson.
When fresh very tender and easily torn, when dry coriaceous. Sow. Smell strong, acrid, like that of some Lactarii. M.J.B.