The Journal of Indian Botany/Volume 2/October 1921/Two New Species of Polyporaceae

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TWO NEW SPECIES OF POLYPORACEAE.

BY

S. R. Bose, M.A., F.L.S.

Professor of Botany, Carmichael Medical College, Calcutta.

I am making a systematic study of Polyporaceas of Bengal and Agaricaceae of my neighbouring places. I am bringing them out in series in our College Bulletins and some of the local journals. But little work has been done on Bengal Fungi (specially Polyporaceae and Agaricaceae). Berkeley published notes on some collected by Sir J. D. Hooker in Darjeeling and Himalayan hilly tracts in Hooker's Journal of Botany, Vols. II, III, IV and VI ; but since then there has been hardly any accountable work beyond identification of stray collections by Currey, Massee and Lloyd. Most of my specimens which have already been published, I had worked out at the Mycological Herbarium of Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens, Ceylon, with the kind assistance of Mr. T. Petch, the indefatigable worker on Ceylon Fungi. Some were sent to Mr. Lloyd the famous Mycologist of Cincinnati, Ohio, who has undoubtedly the largest collection of Polyporaceae from all different parts of the world. After very careful scrutiny, Mr. Lloyd has confirmed the following two as new species. I am sincerely grateful to him for the trouble he has taken in matching them with the rich collection of Polypores.

1. Polyporus friabilis., sp. nov.

Habitat — Growing from the ground, collected from Nagbol (Hooghly Dist.), in June, 1919 and from the interior of Howrah Dist. on 13th October, 1919 and on rocky soil from Udaigiri, Puri (Orissa) in November 1920, and from Coimbatore, Madras, in March, 1921.

Pileus — Stalked, mostly mesopoclial, in one case lateral, soft, becomes a bit hard in drying up, mostly circular in form, about 6 cm. across, the bigger one from Howrah has a diameter of about 17 cm. and is about 12 mm. thick, others about 3 mm. thick. It is a fleshy species, and has an offensive smell all over when fresh.

Stalk — Concolorous with the pileus, short, 1} to 3 cm. long, lj to 3 cm. thick (the bigger one 3 cm. thick).

Upper surface — Smooth, soft, not zoned, but wrinkled, colour yellowish-grey when fresh, acquires a brownish tinge here and there

in drying.

Hymenial surface — Of the same color, becomes brownish in drying, pores small and angular, pore tubes in the bigger specimen 8 mm. long, context yellowish, soft, brittle and friable.

Margin — In dried ones involute.

Cystidia — None.

Spores — Hyaline, smooth, oval 4xG/*; some round, 6/* in diameter.

Mr. Lloyd remarks : " It belongs in section 39 of Stip. Polyp, pamphlet and is suggestive of Polyporus ovinus of Europe. The soft, friable flesh of the dried specimen is a feature not known to me in any similar species "

It has been named friabilis on account of its soft friable context. For this suggestion of name I am indebted to Mr. Lloyd.

2. Polystictus Sarbadhikarii, sp. nov.

Habitat — Growing in clusters in imbricate manner on dead trunk of Tamarind tree, collected from Nagbol, Hooghli Dist., in July, 1919.

Pileus — Sessile, arising as lateral outgrowths in imbricate manner from the dead stump, in the form of an arc of a circle, hard, about 3 cm. long, about 2 cm. broad, about 8 mm. thick, internally yellowish-brown.

Upper surface — Brown, distinctly hairy, brown hairs a bit coarse, and arranged in regular concentric zones on the upper surface.

Hymenial surface — Dark-brown, pores uniform, minute, brown, pore-tubes short, 2 mm. long, context a bit hard.

Margin — With a black outline.

Spores — Deep brown, round, diameter 9.09/^.

Setas — None.

Mr. Lloyd says : "I cannot place a name for it. It is in section close to Polystictus subcogener."