Figure 179.—Panus rudis.
This is a very plentiful plant about Chillicothe and is found throughout the United States, although it is a rare plant in Europe. It is generally given in American Mycology under the name Lentinus Lecomtei. It grows on logs and stumps. The form of the plant is quite different when growing on the top of a log or a stump, from those springing from the side. Those in the extreme left of Figure 179 grew on the side of the log, while those in the center grew on the top, in which case the plant has usually a funnel-shaped appearance.
The pileus is tough, reddish or reddish-brown, depressed, sinuate, bristling with tufts of hair, the margin quite strongly incurved, cæspitose.
The gills are narrow and crowded, decurrent, considerably paler than the cap.
The stem is short, hairy, tawny; sometimes the stem is almost obsolete.
There is a slight tinge of bitterness in the plant when raw, but in cooking this disappears. When prepared for food it should be chopped fine and well cooked. It can be dried for winter use. It is found from spring to late fall.
Panus torulosus. Fr.
The Twisted Panus. Edible.