Figure 355.—Dædalea ambigua. One-third natural size, showing upper surface.
Figure 356.—Dædalea ambigua. One-third natural size, showing the pore surface.
The pileus is white, corky, horizontal, explanate, reniform, subsessile, azonate, finely pubescent, becoming smooth.
Pores from round to linear and labyrinthiform, the dissepiments always obtuse and never lamellate.
It is a very common growth in Ohio, found on old logs of the sugar maple. You will see the beginning of the growth in the spring as a round white nodule which develops slowly. If the same plant is observed in the summer it will be found to be gibbous or convex in form. It finishes its growth in the fall when it has become explanate and horizontal, depressed above and with a thin margin. When fresh and growing it is of a rich cream-color and has a soft and velvety touch and a pleasant fragrance. In Figure 355, showing the surface of the cap, the growth of the plant shows in the form of the zones. Figure 356 shows the form of the dissepiments. In younger specimens these are frequently round, much like a Polyporus. There is one locality in Poke Hollow where the maple logs are white with this species, appearing, in the distance, to be oyster mushrooms.