'I
Plant solitary or tufted, exceedingly variable in size, form and colour. Pileus
1-5 inches broad, smooth, plane or somewhat concave in the centre,
entire at the margin, or more or less lobed, never torn ; colour varying
from white to yellow, brown, reddish, or greyish. Flesh thin, white.
Pores mostly white, rarely reddish, one-tenth of an inch in length, very
minute, roundish. Stipes cylindrical, short, (rarely wanting), central,
excentrical, or even lateral and horizontal, simple, or several confluent
together, so as to appear branched, ^ of an inch to near an inch in diameter,
smooth, pale, black at the base ; sometimes nearly the whole is
black. Sporidia white, oval, minute. Substance of the whole plant firm,
soft in the fresh state, but, when dry and old, perfectly hard.
In bringing tbe above variety of synonymes together, I bave
done little more than follow the labours of my excellent friend
M. F r ie s ; not, however, of course, without a careful examination
of tbe numerous authorities be has quoted. The additional
ones are chiefly derived from British works, in which I have
had the assistance of tbe Midland Flora of Mr P u r t o n ;
though I cannot admit Boletus polyporus of B u i .l ia r d , and
Boletus hetulinus of B o l t o n and W i t h e r i n g , brought forward
as synonyms by that gentleman, to be connected with our
plant, Proteus as it is.
The most remarkable characteristics of Polyporus varius,
are tbe white flesh, and very short and very minute pores, conjoined
with the extreme hardness of tbe whole plant in old age
and the dry state. Though tbe base of the stipes in most instances
becomes suddenly black, yet this is not an invariable character,
as I have seen the whole stipes white, and at other times
black up to the pores.
The small variety named by authors nummularius, is rarely
larger than a shilling, and often appears to grow from the
ground ; but it will always be found attached to small branches
rotting beneath tbe surface.
Fig. 1. A specimen with a lateral horizontal stipes, being that variety tvhich has
been called Boletus Calceolus by authors. Fig. 2. Another variety, being the
fu ll size to which the plant attains. Fig. S. A portion o f the pileus; natural
size. Fig. 4. A portion o f the pikus, with pores. Fig. 5. Sporidia ; magnified.