revolute), fimbriated, reddish blotchy scales. Substance white withiii;
fleshy, rather firm. Pores yellowish-white, very large, irregulai’, towards
the stipes becoming very shallow, often pentagonal or hexagonal,
and ending in a mere reticulation. Stipes variable ; lateral, sublateral,
or, rarely, subcentrical, very éhort and unequally thickened, or much
elongated : in the latter state it is frequently branched in rather à paL
mate manner, the summits being either quite simple, or the terminating
pileus imperfectly developed : this is the Boletus ranpjerinus of authors.
The stipes is always solid, blackish at the base, paler upwards.
Polyporus squamosus is the largest of British fungi, and
bne of the best known. On the Continent of Europe, it is extremely
fi-eqnent, and sometimes eaten; though, it would appear
from the evidence of some who have partaken of it, that
its effects are sometimes injurious. P e r s o o n has not introduced
it into his “ Traite sur les Champignons comestibles,”
under either the name of platyporus, squamosus, or Juglandis
; but he has Pol. subsquamosus, which we consider the
same species. He says nothing about its properties, and simply
states, on the authority of W u l f e n , that it is eaten in
Carinthia, where it is known under the name of Herren-
sclmamm. In France, we learn from D e C a n o o i . l e , that
it is called Midlin, Langou, and Oreille d’orme. From what
we already know, however, of these plants, we should presume
it to be unwholesome, notwithstanding the report of the natives
abroad; and we are borne out in this by the testimony of B u l -
liard, and by C u r t i s and H o o k e r in the Flora Londinensis.
This species sometimes attains to an enormous size. My
esteemed friend Dr H o o k e r relates an instance given him
by Mr H o p k i r k , of one which measured 7 feet 5 inches in
circumference, and weighed, after having been cut four days,
34 lb. avoirdupois. I t was only four w'éeks in attaining the
above size, gaining thus an acquisition of weight of above 1 lb.
3 oz. in the day,—FI. Scot.
1 apprehend M. F r i e s has Orred in quoting B a t t a r r a ,
t. 37. f. A, B, as that author expressly mentions the pores as
“ minutissimis tubulis.”
Fig. I. A mature plant, with two very young ones at the base. Fig. 2. A smal.
portion o f the pileus, with the pores; natural size. Fig. 3. Section c f pores;
magnified.