ach pileus to be five to six inches
broad. They are built up one on top of another, overlapping each other
like shingles on a roof.

The pileus is fleshy but tough, shell-shaped, connate behind,
longitudinally rough, costate, corrugate, tan-colored, and the margin is
strongly incurved.

The gills are broad, nearly white, flesh-colored near the base, coarsely
toothed.

The stem is usually obsolete, yet in some cases it is apparent.

The spores are almost round and very small, .00006 inch in diameter. In
all plants which I have found the odor is somewhat strong and the taste
is pungent. It grows in the woods in September and October.

_Lentinus lepideus. Fr._

THE SCALY LENTINUS. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: Figure 182.--Lentinus lepideus.]

Lepideus is from _lepis_, a scale.

The pileus is fleshy, compact, convex, then depressed, unequal, broken
up in dark scales, flesh white, tough.

The gills are sinuate, decurrent, broad, torn, transversely striate,
whitish, or with white edges, irregularly toothed.

The stem is stout, central or lateral, tomentose or scaly, often
crooked, rooting, whitish, solid, equal or tapering at the base.

This is a peculiar plant, growing sometimes to immense forms. It grows
on wood, seemingly to be partial to railroad ties to which its mycelium
is very injurious. I found the plant frequently about Salem, Ohio. The
specimens in the halftone were found near Akron, Ohio, and photographed
by Prof. Smith. As an esculent it almost rivals the Pleuroti. It is
found from spring to autumn. I found a beautiful cluster on an oak stump
near Chillicothe, while looking for Morels, about the last of April.

_Lentinus cochleatus. Fr._

THE SPIRAL-FORMED LENTINUS. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 183.--Lentinus cochleatus.]

Cochleatus is from _cochlea_, a snail, from resembling its shell.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, tough, flaccid, irregular,
depressed, sometimes funnel-shaped, sometimes lobed or contorted,
flesh-color, becoming pale.

The gills are crowded, beautifully serrated, pinkish-white.

The stem is solid, length variable, sometimes central, frequently
eccentric, often lateral, smooth. The spores are nearly round, 4u.

This is a beautiful plant but sparingly found with us. I found a
pretty cluster at the foot of a maple stump in Poke Hollow. The serrated
form of the gills will attract attention at once. It is found in August
and September.