Lloyd Mycological Writings V3.pdf - MykoWeb

It also seems to be frequent in our Western forests (California)
there growing on Pinus contorta, and Professor Peck has found it
at Albany on Pinus rigida. It is probably restricted to coniferous
wood.
Polyporous volvatus is an annual plant and short lived, for it
is usually destroyed by beetles early in the season. 13
The form is
globose, or compressed, as shown in our illustration. At first it is a
Fig. 261.
Polyporus volvatus.
The larger are the Western form, the smaller the "type" form.
hollow ball with a posterior opening below. 14 Then the pores are
developed in the interior on the upper side. The context is white and
homogeneous. I think it is misleading to describe the "volva" as a
prolongation of the margin of the pileus. The "piletis" is rather a
hollow globe with the context slightly thicker above than below. The
surface of the pileus is smooth, the upper portion colored with a
reddish brown resinous stain. 15 The pores are small, slightly darker
13
Notwithstanding that it was arranged by Cooke in "Fomes" and is found in Saccardo
"Fomes volvatus," Mr. Murrill puts it in "Fomiteae." Its nature is the antithesis of
ted out by both Peck and Patouillard, its relations are close
Fomes and Fomiteae, and,
to Polyporus betulinus.
14 We read that the "volva at length ruptures at one to three points," etc. I think there
is no rupture. The hole is formed when the "volva" is. It is a definite, well formed aperture,
and exists, I believe, from an early stage. I have one collection so young that no pores are
yet formed, but the aperture is perfect. And I think it is a definite, single aperture. I have
never feen a species with more than one opening. Specimens are recorded, as for instance
Ellis' "new species" Polyporus inflatus, without an opening, but that is evidently due to
growing on top of a log, an abnormal position. When the plant grows normally on the side
of a trunk, as it generally does, the hole is developed as the plant develops.
a In a young collection I have, this stain is uniform over the entire surface, but in old
collections it seems to disappear from the under surface.