We are told that in the Roman markets this mushroom is frequently sold as an article of food.
Polyporus leucomelas. Fr.
Figure 322.—Polyporus leucomelas.
Leucomelas is from two Greek words, leucos, white, and melas, black.
The pileus is two to four inches broad, fleshy, somewhat fragile, irregularly shaped, silky, sooty-black; flesh soft, reddish when broken.
The pores are rather large, unequal, ashy or whitish, becoming black when drying.
The stem is one to three inches long, stout, unequal, somewhat tomentose, sooty-black, becoming black internally. The pileus and stem become black in places.
The spores are cylindric-fusoid, pale-brown, 10–12×4–5µ.