New York, Peck, Rep. 51; Richmond, Ind., Dr. J.R. Weist; Gouverneur, N.Y., Mrs. E.C. Anthony; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. On decaying roots in ground and on stumps. May to November. McIlvaine.
Tufts dense, branches spreading from a center. The pilei up to 2 in. across, connected at base. The dense spreading tufts, up to a foot across and half as high, are very noticeable. The flesh is soft and of good flavor. Cook like P. intybaceus.
P. a´nax Berk. Fleshy, fibrous, rather tough, dusky-gray, branching out from a thick, single stem at the base and forming a large head of branches and pileoli 10–20 lines in diameter; the branches terminate in numerous large pileoli of various forms and size, imbricating, confluent and recurved. Flesh and pores white. Stems thick, growing together, white. Pores large, unequal, angular, white. Spores white, subelliptic, 7–8µ long.
Ohio, at the base of oak trees and stumps. Autumn. Morgan.
This species has apparently been confused by some American mycologists with P. intybaceus. I have received specimens of it bearing that name. The spores of that species are described as elliptic or ovoid. The spores of Polyporus anax, as shown by our specimens, are globose. Peck, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Ohio, Morgan; New York, Peck, 51st Rep.; New Jersey, Sterling; Angora, West Philadelphia, growing on rotting stump. September, 1897, McIlvaine.
Edible when young and fresh.
Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist. Plate CXXVIII.
POLYPORUS FRONDOSUS.
P. frondo´sus Fr.—frons, a leafy branch. (Plate [CXXVIII], p. 482.) Tuft ½-1 ft. broad, very much branched, fibrous-fleshy, toughish. Pileoli very numerous, ½-2 in., sooty-gray, dimidiate, wrinkled, lobed, intricately recurved. Flesh white. Stems growing into each other, white. Pores rather tender, very small, acute, white.