Chapter XVII: Part 17

This is a very beautiful Boletus. When young the whole plant except the surface of the pileus is of a vivid lemon-yellow color. Wounds quickly change to green, then to blue. The color of the pileus approaches closely to solferino. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Caps of specimens found in mixed woods at Mt. Gretna, Pa., were minutely areolate when old. Stems yellow at top and with purplish red over the bright yellow toward the bulbous base, solid, bright yellow within.

Stems and caps are edible and rank high in flavor and texture.

=B. illu´dens= Pk.—deceiving. (Plate CXVIII, fig. 3, p. 436.) =Pileus= convex, dry, subglabrous, yellowish-brown or grayish-brown, sometimes tinged with red, especially in the center. =Flesh= pallid or yellowish. =Tubes= bright yellow, plane or somewhat convex when old, adnate, their mouths angular or subrotund, often larger near the stem. =Stem= nearly equal, sometimes abruptly pointed at the base, glabrous, pallid or yellowish, coarsely reticulated either wholly or at the top only. =Spores= oblong or subfusiform, yellowish-brown tinged with green, 11–12.5×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 1.5–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–2.5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick.

Woods and copses. Port Jefferson. July. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in plenty at Mt. Gretna, Pa., September, 1898. On ground and old stumps in mixed woods. Identified by Professor Peck.

Taste and smell pleasant. Cooked as egg-plant it is one of the best. Remove tubes.

=B. Peck´ii= Frost—after C.H. Peck. =Pileus= convex, firm, dry, subglabrous, _red, fading to yellowish-red or buff-brown_ with age, the margin usually retaining its red color longer than the disk. =Tubes= adnate or slightly decurrent, nearly plane, yellow, changing to blue where wounded. =Stem= equal or subventricose, reticulated, _red, yellow at the top_. =Spores= oblong, pale ochraceous-brown, 9–12×4–5µ.

Var. _læ´vipes_. =Stem= reticulated above, even below.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Woods of frondose trees. New York, _Peck_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. cal´opus= Fr. _Gr_—beautiful; _Gr_—foot. =Pileus= globose, then convex, unpolished, _subtomentose, olivaceous_. =Flesh= pallid, slightly changing to blue when wounded. =Tubes= adnate, their mouths minute, angular, yellow. =Stem= firm, conical, then elongated and subequal, reticulated, _wholly scarlet or at the apex only_, sometimes colored like the pileus toward the base. =Spores= fusiform, yellowish-brown, 7–8×3–4µ.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= longer than the diameter of the pileus.

Woods. North Carolina, _Schweinitz_, _Curtis_; Pennsylvania, _Schweinitz_; New England, _Sprague_, _Bennett_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. orna´tipes= Pk.—ornate-stem. (Boletus retipes, Rep. 23.) =Pileus= convex, firm, dry, glabrous or very minutely tomentose, _grayish-brown or yellowish-brown_. =Flesh= yellow or pale-yellow. =Tubes= adnate, plane, or concave, rarely convex, the mouths small or medium size, clear-yellow. =Stem= firm, subequal, distinctly and beautifully reticulated, yellow without and within. =Spores= oblong, _ochraceous-brown_, 12–16×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 2–5 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Thin woods and open places. New York, _Peck_.

The color of the tubes becomes darker with age, but it does not change to blue where wounded. The species is related to the next following one with which it has sometimes been confused, but from which it is clearly distinct. The color of the spores is quite dark and approaches snuff-brown. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Edible. Good.

=B. re´tipes= B. and C.—reticulate stem. =Pileus= convex, dry, _powdered with yellow_, sometimes rivulose or cracked in areas. =Tubes= adnate, yellow. =Stem= subequal, _cespitose_, reticulate to the base, _pulverulent below_. =Spores= _greenish-ochraceous_, 12–15×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 1.5–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

The tufted mode of growth, pulverulent pileus and paler-colored spores separate this species from the preceding one. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia, 1882–1885. Mt. Gretna, Pa.; New Jersey, _McIlvaine_.

The caps, alone, of this species, are desirable, the stems not cooking well. Its way of bunching itself gratifies the collector, as do its flavor and quality.

=B. pa´chypus= Fr. _Gr_—thick-footed. =Pileus= convex, subtomentose, brownish or pale tan-color. =Flesh= thick, whitish, changing slightly to blue. =Tubes= rather long, _somewhat depressed around the stem_, their mouths round, pale-yellow, at length tinged with green. =Stem= thick, firm, reticulated, at first ovate-bulbous, then elongated, equal, _variegated with red and pale-yellow_. =Spores= large, _ovate_, pale yellowish-ochraceous, 12.5–14×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 4–8 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long.

Woods, either of pine or beech.

This species is noted for its thick, stout stem, which sometimes attains a diameter of more than two inches. It approaches the Edules in habit, but according to Gillet it is poisonous, or at least to be suspected, has a penetrating unpleasant odor and a somewhat nauseous flavor. He also describes the pores as at first whitish. The stem is sometimes intensely blood-red. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

A common species in West Virginia mountains, 1881–1885, in beech groves. August to frost. It is rare in the pines of New Jersey, though I have found it there. Like B. felleus, its size and attractiveness induce the finder to over and over again try cooking it, hoping the discovery of a successful way to rid it of its unpleasantness. I have never succeeded. It is not poisonous.

=B. rimosel´lus= Pk.—cracked. =Pileus= broadly convex, flat or irregular, glabrous, _tessellately cracked_, dark-brown. =Flesh= whitish. =Tubes= adnate or sinuately decurrent, somewhat depressed around the stem, pale-yellow, becoming _darker or brownish_ with age. =Stem= tapering upward, broadly reticulated with brown veins, _yellowish-white_. =Spores= _fusiform_, 15–17.5×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 6–9 lines thick.

Mixed woods. North Carolina, _C.J. Curtis_.

I have described this species from the notes and a single dried specimen sent me by Mr. Curtis. More extended observation may require some modification of the description. The color of the spores is described as brown. They are remarkable for their size. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. modes´tus= Pk.—modest. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, often irregular, firm, dry, very minutely tomentose, _yellowish-brown_. =Flesh= gray or pinkish-gray. =Tubes= nearly plane, adnate or subdecurrent, the mouths angular, pale-ochraceous. =Stem= equal, reticulated, brown. =Spores= elliptical, 10×5µ.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.

Grassy ground in thin woods. New York, _Peck_.

Miss Banning finds in Maryland what appears to be a form of this species in which the part of the hymenium near the stem consists of lamellæ, the rest of tubes. The species needs further investigation. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. Cur´tisii= Berk.—after Dr. Curtis. =Pileus= hemispherical or convex, _viscose, golden-yellow_. =Tubes= depressed around the stem, nearly free, their mouths umber, at length tawny. =Stem= slender, attenuated upward, polished, reticulated, straw-colored. =Spores= ferruginous, subelliptical, slightly attenuated at each end.

=Pileus= 1 in. or more broad. =Stem= 2 in. long, 2–3 lines thick.

Pine woods. North and South Carolina, _Curtis_.

In the original description the stem of this species is said to be hollow. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. gri´seus= Frost—gray. =Pileus= broadly convex, firm, dry, subglabrous, _gray or grayish-black_. =Flesh= whitish or gray. =Tubes= adnate or slightly depressed around the stem, nearly plane, their mouths small, subrotund, _white or whitish_. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, distinctly reticulated, _whitish or yellowish_, sometimes reddish toward the base. =Spores= ochraceous-brown, 10–14×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Thin woods and open places. New York, _Peck_.

_Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. flexuos´ipes= Pk.—flexuous stem. =Pileus= convex or plane, even, subtomentose, _pale-brown_. =Flesh= white, unchangeable, the cuticle separable. =Tubes= long, convex, _decurrent_, white or whitish, becoming brownish with age. =Stem= _flexuous_, solid, reticulated, whitish or pallid, _changing to brown where bruised_. =Spores= 7.5–10×4µ.

=Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 in. long, 8–15 lines thick.

Mixed woods. North Carolina, _C.J. Curtis_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. ferrugi´neus= Frost—rust color. =Pileus= convex, soft, subtomentose, dark reddish-brown. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= generally adnate, dingy-white, their mouths stained brown by the spores. =Stem= short, reticulated, dark-brown. =Spores= 10–13×6µ.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad.

Borders of woods. New England, _Frost_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Alabama, 1897.

=B. rubigino´sus= Fr.—rusty. =Pileus= convex, soft, pubescent, soon bare, _brownish-rust color_. =Flesh= subspongy, white, unchangeable. =Tubes= _adnate_, their mouths unequal, white. =Stem= firm, stout, reticulated, at first _whitish or pallid_, then _yellowish_, subcinereous or yellowish-olivaceous where touched.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1 in. thick.

Woods. North Carolina, _Curtis_.

Although apparently distinct, this and the two preceding species are not sufficiently well known. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. tabaci´nus= Und. =Pileus= fleshy, convex or nearly plane, subglabrous, often cracked in areas, tawny-brown. =Flesh= at maturity soft and similarly colored. =Tubes= concave or nearly plane, depressed around the stem, their mouths small, angular, colored like the pileus. =Stem= subequal, solid, reticulated, concolorous. =Spores= oblong or subfusiform, 12.5–14×5µ. =Pileus= 2.5–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 6–10 lines thick.

Along road-sides. Alabama. May. _Underwood._

The species is referable to the section Calopodes, but the tubes are more or less depressed about the stem. _Peck_, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 23, No. 10.

EDU´LES—_edulis_, edible.

=Tubes= subfree, rounded-depressed around the stem, their mouths not at first reddish, but commonly white-stuffed. =Stem= stout, bulbous as in the Luridi but not, with a few exceptions, reticulate nor dotted with pointed scales nor red. =Flesh= scarcely changeable. =Taste= pleasant.

This tribe is not sharply limited but partakes to some extent of the characters of Calopodes and Luridi. From the former its nearly free and at first white-stuffed tubes and its generally even stem separate it, from the latter its tubes with concolorous mouths or at least with mouths not red or reddish when young will distinguish it. The species are generally of large or medium size and noted for their esculent qualities.

Stem brownish-lilac or chocolate color 1

Stem some other color 2

1. Stem reticulated B. separans

1. Stem not reticulated, furfuraceous B. eximius

2. Pileus viscid B. limatulus

2. Pileus not viscid 3

3. Tubes yellow with no tinge of green 4

3. Tubes tinged with green or becoming green where 6
bruised

4. Pileus whitish B. æstivalis

4. Pileus not whitish 5

5. Stem glabrous B. affinis

5. Stem pubescent B. impolitus

6. Pileus becoming white-spotted where bruised B. leprosus

6. Pileus not becoming spotted 7

7. Pileus glabrous B. edulis

7. Pileus not glabrous 8

8. Stem reticulated, whitish or pallid B. variipes

8. Stem even, brownish-red B. decorus

_Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. sep´arans= Pk. (Plate CXVIII, fig. 1, p. 436.) =Pileus= convex, thick, glabrous, subshining, often pitted, pitted or corrugated, brownish-red or dull-lilac, sometimes fading to yellowish on the margin. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= at first nearly plane, adnate, white and stuffed, then convex, depressed around the stem, ochraceous-yellow or brownish-yellow and sometimes separating from the stem by the expansion of the pileus. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, reticulated either wholly or in the upper part only, colored like the pileus or a little paler, sometimes slightly furfuraceous. =Spores= subfusiform, brownish-ochraceous, 12–15×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 6–12 lines thick.

Thin grassy woods. New York, _Peck_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia. September, 1881. New Jersey and Pennsylvania. October, 1887, _McIlvaine_. Indiana, October, 1898. _Dr. J.R. Weist_, _H.I. Miller_.

One of the handsomest of Boleti. It varies greatly in size and color, but traces of purple or lilac are always detectable. The reticulations upon the stem are often obscure, especially in young specimens.

It is pleasant when raw, and quite equal to any Boletus when cooked.

(Plate CXIX.)

1, BOLETUS EDULIS, VAR. CLAVIPES.
2, 3, BOLETUS EDULIS.
]

=B. edu´lis= Bull.—_edulis_, edible. (Plate CXVIII, fig. 5, p. 436.) =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, _glabrous_, moist, at first compact, then soft, variable in color, grayish-red, brownish-red or tawny-brown, often paler on the margin. =Flesh= white or yellowish, reddish beneath the cuticle. =Tubes= convex, nearly free, long, minute, round, _white, then yellow and greenish_. =Stem= short or long, straight or flexuous, subequal or bulbous, stout, more or less reticulate, especially above, whitish, pallid or brownish. =Spores= oblong-fusiform, 12–15×4–5µ.

Var. _cla´vipes_. Plate CXIX. =Stem= tapering upward from an enlarged base, everywhere reticulated.

=Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= 2–6 in. long, 6–18 lines thick.

Woods and open places. Not rare. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Indiana, _H.I. Miller_, _Dr. J.R. Weist_; New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, _McIlvaine_.

Some species of fungi appear to have that prize of Fairyland—the Wishing Cap—and by its power be able to take on any form they please. Boletus edulis is one of them. Its variableness is puzzling. It is eaten everywhere where found and is a favorite. Carefully sliced, dried and kept where safe from mold it may be prepared for the table at any season.

=B. edulis= Bull.—Var. _clavipes_ Pk. (Plate CXIX, fig. 1, p. 445.) =Pileus= fleshy, convex, glabrous, grayish-red, bay-red or chestnut-color. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= at first concave or nearly plane, white and stuffed, then convex, slightly depressed around the stem, ochraceous yellow. =Stem= mostly obclavate (inversely club-shaped) and reticulate to the base. =Spores= oblong-fusiform, 12–15×4–5µ.

The club-stemmed Boletus is so closely related to the edible Boletus and so closely connected by the intermediate forms that it seems to be only a variety of it, but one worthy of illustration. It differs in the more uniform color of the cap, in having the tubes less depressed around the stem and less tinted with green when mature, and in having the stem more club-shape and commonly reticulated to the base. The lower reticulations are usually coarser but less permanent than the upper. The cap is more highly colored when young and is apt to become paler with age, but the margin does not become paler than the central part, as it so often does in the edible Boletus. Individuals sometimes occur in which the stem is nearly cylindric and reticulated only on the upper part. These connect so closely with the edible Boletus that we have considered this to be a mere variety of it. In size and in edible qualities it is very similar to that species. _Peck_, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Same in quality as B. edulis.

=B. vari´ipes= Pk.—variable stem. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, thick, soft, dry, _scaly, pointed scaly or minutely tomentose_, grayish or pale grayish-brown, sometimes tinged with yellow or ochraceous. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= convex or nearly plane, slightly depressed around the stem, at first white, then greenish-yellow, their mouths small, subrotund, _ochraceous_, stuffed when young. =Stem= firm, reticulated, whitish or pallid. =Spores= oblong-fusiform, ochraceous-brown tinged with green, 12–15×5µ. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. August, 1898. Stem slightly reticulated at top, indistinctly striate below. Smell and taste strong, like B. felleus, but sweetish, not bitter. When tubes are removed and cap fried it is excellent.

Var. _al´bipes_. =Stem= whitish, wholly reticulated, the reticulations coarser near the base. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. August, 1898. Taste slightly acrid, smell slight. Excellent.

Var. _pallid´ipes_. =Stem= pallid, slightly furfuraceous, even or obscurely reticulated toward the base, distinctly reticulated above. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Satiny, shining. Taste slightly acrid, smell slight. Excellent.

Var. _tenu´ipes_. =Stem= slender, elongated. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. August, 1898, on decaying chestnut stump and on ground. Excellent. _McIlvaine._

This species, with its varieties, grows in mixed woods, the density of which has much to do with its general appearance. Individuals growing where the sun plays upon them, show the reticulations plainer than those maturing in the shade. The tubes should be removed before cooking. The caps are best fried.

=B. exi´mius= Pk.—select. =Pileus= at first very compact, subglobose or hemispherical, subpruinose, _purplish-brown or chocolate color_, sometimes with a faint tinge of lilac, becoming convex, soft, smoky-red or pale-chestnut. =Flesh= grayish or reddish-white. =Tubes= at first concave or nearly plane, stuffed, colored nearly like the pileus, becoming paler with age and depressed around the stem, their mouths minute, rotund. =Stem= stout, generally short, equal or tapering upward, abruptly narrowed at the base, _minutely branny_, colored like or a little paler than the pileus, purplish-gray within. =Spores= subferruginous, 12.5–15×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 3–10 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 6–12 lines thick.

Woods and their borders. New England, _Frost_; New York, _Peck_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

In mixed woods and in new clearings near Bartram’s Garden, Philadelphia, Pa. _McIlvaine._

A patch of it is treasure trove.

=B. lepro´sus= Pk.—leprous. Pileus very convex, glabrous, soft like kid, cinereous-yellowish-drab or pale-brown, _slowly changing to whitish where bruised_, the cuticle separable. =Flesh= _white, changing to yellowish_. =Tubes= yellow or brownish-yellow, _changing to greenish where_ wounded, plane, depressed around the stem, short, small, stuffed when young. =Stem= solid, enlarged at the top, _lemon-yellow_. =Spores= oblong-fusiform, 12.5–15×5µ.

=Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= 2 in. long, 1 in. thick.

Mixed woods. North Carolina, _C.J. Curtis_.

This plant is remarkable for the whitish or leprous spots which the pileus assumes, even from being handled, and for the change in the color of the flesh and tubes. The stem is very thick at the top but tapers downward. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

(Plate CXX.)

=B. affi´nis= Pk.—related. =Pileus= convex above or nearly plane, subglabrous, reddish-brown or chestnut color fading to tawny or dingy-ochraceous with age. =Flesh= white. =Tubes= plane or convex, adnate or slightly depressed around the stem, at first white and stuffed, then glaucous-yellow or subochraceous, changing to rusty-ochraceous where wounded. =Stem= subequal, even, glabrous, colored like or paler than the pileus. =Spores= rusty-ochraceous, 9–12×4–5µ.

The Related boletus belongs to the tribe of Boleti known as Edules because of their especially esculent character, but it differs from the general character of the tribe in having its tubes not at all or but slightly shortened around the stem and in its stem not being thickened or bulbous at the base. The species is quite variable in the color of the cap, which is generally darker in young plants, paler in old ones. It may be brown, reddish-brown or blackish-brown when young, but is more or less tinged with tawny or ochraceous when old. It is smooth and even or minutely tomentose and sometimes slightly rugose. In wet weather the margin of the cap sometimes curves upward, giving a very convex surface to the tubes. Sometimes the wounded flesh slowly assumes a yellowish hue. The peculiar rusty-ochraceous hue of the spores is also seen sometimes in the tubes of old specimens. As in many species, the flesh of old plants is more soft than that of young ones. The stem is quite variable and is often narrowed downward. It is sometimes very obscurely reticulated at the top.

The cap is generally 2–4 in. broad, the stem 1.5–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick. The plants are found in thin woods or in bushy places in July and August.

Var. _maculo´sus_ Pk. differs from the type simply in having a few yellowish spots scattered over the cap.

While not as high flavored as some Boleti this is, nevertheless, a fairly good and perfectly safe one. _Peck_, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Very open timber in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia. August, 1898. _McIlvaine._

A solitary species which does not appear to be plentiful. The whole fungus is edible, but the stems and tubes are of different texture from the caps and do not cook well with them.

=B. æstiva´lis= Fr.—pertaining to summer. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, even, _glabrous, whitish_, granulose in dry weather. =Flesh= yellow below, white above. =Tubes= nearly free, the mouths minute, equal, yellow. =Stem= very thick, bulbous, even, glabrous, pale yellow, reddish within at the base. =Spores= elongated-oval, greenish-brown, rather dark, 11×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= 4–5 in. long.

Woods and woodland pastures. Minnesota, _Johnson_; California, _H. and M._

A large species, recorded as edible and said to be pleasant and delicate in flavor. I have seen no specimens of this. _Peck_, Boleti of the United States.

West Virginia mountains, 1882, Haddonfield, N.J., 1894, _McIlvaine_, on grassy margin of woods.

The flesh is sweet, nutty. Remove stems and tubes when old.

=B. impoli´tus= Fr.—unpolished. =Pileus= convex, dilated, _flocculose_, at length grained in lines, unpolished, _tawny-brown_. =Flesh= white or whitish, unchangeable, yellowish under the cuticle. =Tubes= free, their mouths minute, yellow. =Stem= stout, subbulbous, even, _pubescent, pale-yellow_, sometimes with a reddish zone near the top. =Spores= oval or fusiform, pale greenish-brown, 7.5–10×5µ.

=Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= 2 in. long.

Oak woods. California, _Harkness and Moore_.

This species is recorded as edible and said to be among the most delicious. It is evidently rare in this country. According to Quelet the spores are ellipsoid, papillate, 15–18µ long. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Near Bartram’s Garden, West Philadelphia, Pa., 1885. Thin mixed woods. _McIlvaine._

That this species is edible and delicious is vouched for by many. I can add my own pleasurable experience.

=B. deco´rus= Frost.—decorous. =Pileus= convex, rather firm, tomentose, brownish tinged with red, the margin often darker colored. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= becoming free, yellow, _changing to green where wounded_. =Stem= bulbous, minutely branny, _brownish-red_, the bulb sometimes white and attenuated at the base. =Spores= 13×5µ.

Rich woods. New England, _Frost_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Leominster, Mass., _C.F. Nixon_, August, 1897; Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa., August, 1897, _McIlvaine_.

=Cap= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–2½ in. high, but variable in size. Its edible qualities are excellent.

=B. lima´tulus= Frost—polished. =Pileus= nearly flat, thin, glabrous, _viscid when moist_, somewhat polished and shining when dry, rich yellowish-brown. =Flesh= _reddish in the pileus_, darker in the stem. =Tubes= depressed around the stem, greenish-yellow, their mouths yellowish-brown. =Stem= small, subbulbous, colored like the pileus. =Spores= 12–15×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad.

Woods. New England, _Frost_.

By the differently-colored tube mouths, this species approaches those of the next following tribe, but it is placed here because these are not red or reddish. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. au´ripes= Pk.—yellow-stem. =Pileus= convex, subglabrous, yellowish-brown, sometimes cracking in areas when old. =Flesh= yellow, fading to whitish with age. =Tubes= nearly plane, their mouths small, subrotund, at first stuffed, yellow. =Stem= nearly equal, solid, even or slightly reticulated at the top, bright yellow, a little paler within. =Spores= ochraceous-brown tinged with green, 12×5µ.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, 8–12 lines thick.

Under mountain laurel, _Kalmia latifolia_. Port Jefferson. July.

The whole plant, except the upper surface of the pileus, is of a beautiful yellow color. The stem is sometimes more highly colored than the tubes. The species is referable to the tribe Edules. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. August, September, 1898. _McIlvaine._

In mixed woods in which _Kalmia latifolia_ is plentiful. The specimens found were in its vicinity. The caps are excellent.

=B. leptoceph´alus= Pk. _Gr_—thin; _Gr_—head. =Pileus= thin, broadly convex or nearly plane, dry, minutely cracked, especially near the margin, light tawny-brown, sometimes tinged with reddish-brown. =Flesh= yellowish-white, taste at first mild, then slightly acrid. =Tubes= subventricose, depressed about the stem, nearly free, dingy olive-yellow, the mouths small, subrotund. =Stem= nearly equal, enlarged at the top, solid, glabrous or slightly pruinose-mealy, reticulated above, colored like the pileus, white within, with a white mycelium at the base. =Spores= greenish-olivaceous, fusiform, 12.5–17.5µ long, 5–6µ broad.

=Pileus= 10–12.5 cm. broad. =Stem= 10–12.5 cm. long, 1.2–1.6 cm. thick.

Dry, open woods. July. _Earle._

The reticulation of the upper part of the stem appears to be formed by the decurrent walls of the tubes. The species belongs to the tribe Edules. _Peck_, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 25.

Edible.

=B. fra´grans= Vitt.—fragrant. Fasciculate or solitary. =Pileus= 1–4 in. across, convex, dark-brown or umber-brown, often wavy, slightly tomentose, margin incurved. =Flesh= very thick, yellowish, sometimes unchangeable, at others changing to green or blue, and finally becoming reddish when broken. =Tubes= shortened around the stem and almost free, ½ in. or more long, openings small, roundish, yellow then greenish. =Stem= at first stout, ovate, usually tapering at the base, then lengthening and becoming thinner upward, even, variegated with yellow and red, solid. =Spores= pale-olive, elongato-fusiform, 10–12×4µ.

In woods, under oaks, etc. =Pileus= bronze-brown, sometimes with purple shades. Often grows in dense clusters, and in this particular differing from any other British species. Very good for eating. _Massee._

Haddonfield, N.J. Oak woods. August to September, 1894. Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1898. _McIlvaine._

Solitary. A handsome valuable species which appears to be rare in the United States. Shade a beautiful bronze. Cap 3–4 in. across. A dozen or more individuals were found and eaten. Excellent.

=B. frustulo´sus= Pk.—_frustulum_, a small bit. =Pileus= thick, convex or nearly plane, subglabrous, cracked in areas, white or whitish. =Flesh= whitish. =Tubes= equal to or a little longer than the thickness of the flesh of the pileus, depressed about the stem, whitish, becoming pale brown. =Stem= equal, solid, whitish, reticulated above. =Spores= 15–17×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 6–10 lines thick.

Open grounds and clay banks. Ocean Springs, Mississippi and Akron, Alabama. May and June. _Underwood._

The deeply cracked surface of the pileus is the most notable feature of this species. This sometimes is seen even in quite young plants. The cracked areas are quite unequal in size. The deep chinks with sloping sides cause them to appear like frusta of polygonal pyramids. In some specimens the reticulations of the stem extend nearly or quite to its base, and make the place of the species ambiguous between the Calopodes and Edules. _Peck_, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., September, 1898, on soil over red conglomerate and on road-sides. _McIlvaine._

The deep cracks in the cap readily distinguish this species. After rains the caps are frequently slightly dished and widely cracked at margin. The exposed flesh dries with a fine silky gloss. The caps are excellent. The tubes and stem should be removed.

=B. cras´sipes= Pk.—thick-footed. (Plate CXVI, fig. 5, p. 420.) =Pileus= convex or centrally depressed, firm, dry, velvety, brown tinged with yellow, the wavy or lobed involute margin extending beyond the tubes. =Flesh= lemon-yellow, unchangeable, taste sweet, odor like that of yeast. =Tubes= rather short, depressed around the stem, almost free, yellowish mottled with brown, the mouths minute, stuffed when young. =Stem= stout, thick, sometimes swollen in the middle and sometimes bulbous, beautifully reticulated but the reticulations sometimes disappearing with age, orange-yellow tinged with brown. =Flesh= of a brighter yellow than that of the pileus.

=Pileus= 5–10 cm. broad. =Stem= 6–8 cm. long, 2.5–3.5 cm. thick.

Oak woods. Mt. Gretna, Pa. August and September. _McIlvaine._

The thick, beautifully reticulated stem, the deep velvety brown color of the pileus and the yellow color of the flesh serve to distinguish this species. _Peck_, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 27, January, 1900.

It is one of the best edible mushrooms. I have also found it in New Jersey.

LU´RIDI.

Stratum of tubes rounded toward the stem and free, their mouths at first closed and red. =Pileus= compact, then soft, cushion-shaped, the flesh juicy, changeable. =Stem= stout, at first short, bulbiform, then elongated and subequal, subreticulated or dotted.

Growing especially in frondose woods. Very poisonous.

In this tribe the tubes and their mouths are differently colored, the latter being red or some shade of red. By this character the species are easily distinguished from those of other tribes.

Flesh distinctly changing color where wounded 1

Flesh not at all or scarcely changing color where 7
wounded

1. Flesh white or whitish 2

1. Flesh yellow or yellowish 5

2. Flesh changing to red or violet B. Satanus

2. Flesh changing to blue 3

3. Stem roughened B. alveolatus

3. Stem even 4

4. Stem hairy at the base B. subvelutipes

4. Stem not hairy at the base B. vermiculosus

5. Stem red B. luridus

5. Stem yellow or reddish only at the base 6

6. Pileus purplish-red B. purpureus

6. Pileus gray B. firmus

6. Pileus yellow or yellowish B. magnisporus

7. Pileus blood-red B. Frostii

7. Pileus reddish-tawny or brown B. Sullivantii

_Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

All authors, up to this date, agree in stating that the species within this series are poisonous. Experiments made by Smiedeberg and Koppe with Boletus Satanus developed symptoms closely resembling poisoning by Amanitæ. Kobert, who made analysis of B. luridus, shows that it contains muscarine, which is one of the most deadly poisons. Such a mass of evidence commands respect. It is urged upon finders of these species to either leave them alone or test them in minute quantities until they have established their ability to eat them without injury.

I have taken special pains to establish the edibility of B. Satanus and B. luridus. For fifteen years I have eaten them in quantity when opportunity afforded, in West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. My family, and my friends in widely separated localities, have partaken freely of them many times and without discomfort. They are remarkably fine eating. The same can be said of B. alveolatus, B. purpureus, B. subvelutipes. I have not seen the other species of this tribe.

I have determined so many of the reputed poisonous species to be edible, that unless positively authenticated, I do not accept repute as truth, but carefully test suspicious species upon myself. When sure there is no danger, I as carefully have them tested by my numerous under-tasters—male and female.

=B. Sa´tanus= Lenz.—Satanic. =Pileus= convex, _glabrous_, somewhat gluey, _brownish-yellow or whitish_. =Flesh= whitish, becoming _reddish or violaceous_ where wounded. =Tubes= free, yellow, their mouths bright red becoming orange-colored with age. =Stem= thick, ovate-ventricose, marked above with red reticulations. =Spores= 12×5µ.

=Pileus= 3–8 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long.

Woods. Rare. North Carolina, _Curtis_; New York, _Peck_; California, _H. and M._, _N.J. Ellis_.

Though mild to the taste, this Boletus is said to be very poisonous, a character suggestive of the specific name. Fries describes the color of the spores as earthy-yellow; Smith as rich brown. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_.

Boletus Satanus is sometimes plentiful in spots. Where it luxuriates it is a rich decoration to the ground, and earth upon upturned-roots upon which it often grows. It does not live long after reaching maturity, but decomposes into a putrescent mass.

Its reputation rivals that of the original possessor of its name. But old proverb sayeth that even “The Devil is not as black as he is painted.” See remarks heading Luridi.

=B. alveola´tus= B. and C. =Pileus= convex, glabrous, shining, bright crimson or maroon-color, sometimes paler and varied with patches of yellow. =Flesh= firm, white, changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= _adnate, subdecurrent_, yellow with maroon-colored mouths, the hymenial surface _uneven with irregular alveolar depressions_. =Stem= very _rough with the margins of rather coarse subreticular depressions_, the reticulations bright-red above with yellow stains. =Spores= yellowish-brown, 12.5–15×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 9 lines thick.

Damp woods. New England, _Frost_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia mountains, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, in mixed woods and on banks of streams. _McIlvaine._

B. alveolatus appears to be more generally distributed than B. Satanus. It is not as clannish, though occasionally three or four are found growing together. When growing from the banks of creeks, or between the roots of beech and other trees in low places, it is often deformed in cap and stem. The texture is firm, close and the taste is very pleasant. It botanically takes its place in this suspected series. I consider it one of the best Boleti. See remarks heading Luridi.

=B. lu´ridus= Schaeff.—lurid in color. =Pileus= convex, tomentose, _brown-olivaceous_, then _somewhat viscose_, sooty. =Flesh= yellow, changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= free, yellow, becoming greenish, their mouths round, vermilion, _becoming orange_. =Stem= stout, vermilion, somewhat orange at the top, _reticulate or punctate_. =Spores= greenish-gray, 15×9.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long.

The lurid Boletus, though pleasant to the taste, is reputed very poisonous. _Boletus rubeolarius_ Pers., having a short bulbous scarcely reticulated stem, is regarded as a variety of this species. The red-stemmed Boletus, _B. erythropus_ Pers., is also indicated as a variety of it by Fries. It is smaller than B. luridus, has a brown or reddish-brown pileus and a slender cylindrical stem, not reticulated, but dotted with squamules. It has been reported from California by Harkness and Moore. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Var. _erythropus_ received from Dr. J.W. Harshberger, Philadelphia, May, 1896.

Often shining as if varnished and very handsome. I frequently found it in West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in mixed woods among leaves. Its reputation is bad. It is undoubtedly edible by many, and is delicious. The caution heading Luridi should be carefully observed.

=B. purpu´reus= Fr.—purple. =Pileus= convex, opaque, dry, _somewhat velvety, purplish-red_. =Flesh= in the young plant only becoming blue, then dark-yellow. =Tubes= nearly free, yellow or greenish-yellow, their mouths minute, _purple-orange_, changing to blue where wounded. =Stem= stout, firm, adorned with purple veins or dots, sometimes reticulated at the apex only, yellow, reddish within, especially at the base. =Spores= greenish-brown, 10–12×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 6–8 lines thick.

Woods. North Carolina, _Curtis_; New York, _Peck_; Minnesota, _Johnson_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia, Mt. Gretna, Pa., _McIlvaine_.

At Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897–1898, B. purpureus was common in oak and chestnut woods. It is a showy species, easily distinguished by its velvety cap. In young specimens the stem is robust, then tapering upward. When old the cap loses its rich color toward the margin, becoming yellowish. The flesh is thick, firm and of excellent flavor. It undoubtedly proved itself delicious and harmless to many eating it.

=B. vermiculo´sus= Pk.—wormy. =Pileus= broadly convex, thick, firm, _dry_, glabrous, or very minutely tomentose, brown, yellowish-brown or grayish-brown, sometimes tinged with red. =Flesh= white or whitish, quickly changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= plane or slightly convex, nearly free, yellow, their mouths small, round, brownish-orange, becoming darker or blackish with age, changing promptly to blue where wounded. =Stem= subequal, firm, _even_, paler than the pileus. =Spores= ochraceous-brown, 10–12×4–5µ.

Var. _Spra´guei_. (Boletus Spraguei Frost, Bull. Buff. Soc., p. 102.) =Stem= yellow above, minutely velvety below.

=Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 4–10 lines thick.

Woods. New York, _Peck_; Ohio, _Morgan_; New England, _Frost_.

The species is separated from B. luridus by its dry pileus, white flesh, even stem, which is neither reticulated nor dotted, and by its smaller spores. I can not distinguish specimens of B. Spraguei received from Mr. Frost, from this species. The name is scarcely appropriate, for specimens are not always infested by larvæ. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

I have not seen this species, therefore, have not tested it. CAUTION.

=B. subvelu´tipes= Pk.—velvety-stem. =Pileus= convex, firm, subglabrous, yellowish-brown or reddish-brown. =Flesh= whitish, both it and the tubes changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= plane or slightly convex, nearly free, yellowish, their mouths small, brownish-red. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, firm, even, somewhat pruinose above, _velvety with a hairy tomentum toward the base_, yellow at the top, reddish-brown below, varied with red and yellow within. =Spores= 15–18×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Woods. New York, _Peck_.

This species resembles the preceding one in general appearance, but it is very distinct by its much longer spores and by the velvety hairiness toward the base of the stem. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Boletus subvelutipes is common in some localities in Pennsylvania, especially on the Springton Hills, in chestnut and oak woods. I have frequently eaten it and found it excellent. Others should carefully test it.

=B. fir´mus= Frost—firm. =Pileus= convex, _very firm_, slightly tomentose, gray, often pitted. =Flesh= _yellowish or deep-yellow_, changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= _adnate_, deeply arcuate, unequal, yellow, their mouths _tinged with red_. =Stem= solid, hard, _very finely reticulated_, yellowish, reddish at the base. =Spores= 13×3µ.

=Pileus= 2.5–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long.

Rich moist wood. New England, _Frost_.

Apparently a well-marked and very distinct species. According to the author, it is readily distinguished by its tenacity and generally distorted growth. I have not seen it nor the next. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Professor Peck’s measurement of spores, 50th Report, New York State Botanist, is 13µ long, 6µ wide.

=B. magnis´porus= Frost. =Pileus= convex, firm, tomentose, _golden-yellow_; tubes _scarcely adnate_, even, greenish-yellow, their mouths light cinnabar-red. =Stem= long, slender, yellow above, red below. =Spores= 15–18×6µ.

=Pileus= 2.5 to 3.5 in. broad.

Woods and thickets. New England, _Frost_; Ohio, _Morgan_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

I have not recognized it. CAUTION.

=B. Fros´tii= Russell. =Pileus= convex, polished, shining, _blood-red_, the margin thin. =Flesh= scarcely changing to blue. =Tubes= nearly free, greenish-yellow, becoming yellowish-brown with age, their mouths blood-red or cinnabar. =Stem= equal or tapering upward, distinctly reticulated, firm, blood-red. =Spores= 12.5–15×5µ.

=Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Grassy places under trees or in thin woods. New England, _Frost_; New York, _Peck_; New Jersey, _Ellis_.

This is a highly colored, beautiful Boletus, but it is not common. The stem sometimes fades with age, and both it and the tubes are apt to lose their color in drying. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

I have not recognized it. CAUTION.

=B. Sullivan´tii= B. and M. =Pileus= hemispherical, glabrous, reddish-tawny or brown, brownish when dry, cracked in squares. =Tubes= free, convex, medium size, angular, longer toward the margin, their mouths reddish. =Stem= solid, violaceous at the thickened base, red-reticulated at the apex, expanded into the pileus. =Spores= pallid ochraceous, oblong-fusiform, 10–20µ long.

=Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long.

Compact soil. Ohio. _Sullivant._

The species is said to be intermediate between Boletus scaber and B. edulis. From the former it differs in its reticulated stem, from the latter, in its larger tubes and from both in its stratum of tubes being remote from the stem. I have not seen it. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. Un´derwoodii= Pk. =Pileus= rather thin, convex, becoming nearly plane, slightly velvety, bright brownish-red, becoming paler with age. =Flesh= yellow, changing to greenish-blue where wounded. =Tubes= adnate or slightly decurrent, greenish-yellow, becoming bluish where wounded, their mouths very small, round, cinnabar red, becoming brownish-orange. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, somewhat irregular, solid, yellow without and within. =Spores= 10–12 x 5µ.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Grassy woods. Auburn, Alabama. July. _Underwood._

This species is remarkable for its adnate or subdecurrent tubes, in which it departs from the character of the tribe to which it belongs according to the colors of the tubes. _Peck_, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3.

=B. par´vus= Pk.—_parvus_, small. =Pileus= convex, becoming plane, often slightly umbonate, subtomentose, reddish. =Flesh= yellowish-white, slowly changing to pinkish where wounded. =Tubes= nearly plane, adnate, their mouths rather large, angular, at first bright red, becoming reddish-brown. =Stem= equal or slightly thickened below, red. =Spores= oblong, 12.5×4µ. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–3 lines thick.

Grassy woods. Auburn, Ala. July. _Underwood._ _Peck_, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3.

VERSIPEL´LES—_verto_, to change; _pellis_, a skin.

=Tubes= at first white or whitish, minute, round, equal, forming a convex stratum free from the stem.

Stem black B. alboater

Stem some other color 1

1. Stem yellow at the base B. chromapes

1. Stem not yellow at the base 2

2. Margin of the pileus B. versipellis
appendiculate

2. Margin not appendiculate 3

3. Stem scabrous or B. scaber
punctate-squamulose

3. Stem even 4

4. Pileus white or whitish B. albellus

4. Pileus dark-brown B. sordidus

_Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. alboa´ter= Schw.—black and white. =Pileus= convex, subtomentose-velvety, black. =Tubes= free, their mouths rather small, white. =Stem= black.

=Pileus= 3 in. broad. =Stem= 2 in. long.

Moist woods. Frequent. North Carolina and Pennsylvania, _Schweinitz_.

In Epicrisis, p. 424, Fries adds to the description here quoted, that the stem is flocculose-veiled. He subjoins to this as a subspecies, Boletus floccosus Schw.; but in Syn. N.A. Fung., Schweinitz makes this a synonym of Boletus floccopus. The species does not appear to have been recognized by recent collectors, which seems strange unless there is some error concerning it. Can it be a black variety of Boletus scaber? _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. Gravelly woods. _McIlvaine._

Cap 1½-4 in. across, convex, slightly depressed, _margin involute when young_, black, densely velvety in youth and age—beautifully so. =Flesh= firm, thick, solid, white changing to grayish. =Tubes= white, stuffed, sometimes blackish when young, excepting a grayish-white circle around stem, becoming yellowish-white when matured, rotund, minute, up to ½ in. long, plane when young; when caps expand tubes draw away from stem leaving a deep white depression. This drawing away apparently elongates many dissepiments, creating a gill-like effect, decurrent upon stem. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, swollen toward base when young, equal, expanding into cap and tapering to a point at base; ¾-1 in. thick, slightly compressible, hard, sooty-black, velvety near base, satiny and glossy upward, has the appearance of having been blackened with burnt cork, usually with narrow white band next to the tubes, no trace of veil, composed of rather hard waved fibers, white when split, but changing to sooty black toward base, lighter upward.

Smell like common mushroom; taste nutty.

Gregarious in sandy-conglomerate soil in mixed woods, among moss and leaves. Mt. Gretna, Pa.

Differs from B. alboater Schw., in having densely tomentose cap, tubes widely separated from stem in age.

A young specimen of apparently same species in same patch had very short, decurrent tubes (not over 1 line) which were sooty-black.

Delicious.

=B. sor´didus= Frost—sordid. =Pileus= convex, subtomentose, dirty dark-brown. =Flesh= white, slightly tinged with green. =Tubes= long, nearly free, at first white, changing to bluish-green. =Stem= smaller at the top, brownish, marked with darker streaks, generally greenish above. =Spores= 10–13×5µ.

=Pileus= about 2 in. broad.

Recent excavations in woods. New England, _Frost_; Ohio, _Morgan_.

The Ohio plant occurs in damp woods, has the flesh sometimes tinged with red and green, the tubes white, then sordid, but changing to bluish-green when bruised, their mouths large and angular, the stem somewhat flexuous and striate and the spores fusiform and dirty-brown, _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. versipel´lis= Fr. =Pileus= convex, _dry_, at first compact and minutely _tomentose_, then squamose or smooth, reddish or orange-red, the margin _appendiculate_ with the inflexed remains of the membranous veil. =Flesh= white or grayish. =Tubes= at first concave or nearly plane, almost or quite free, minute, sordid-white, their mouths gray. =Stem= equal or tapering upward, solid, wrinkled-scaly, whitish or pallid. =Spores= oblong-fusiform, 14–18×4–6µ.

=Pileus= 2–6 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, 4–10 lines thick.

Woods and open places, especially in sandy soil. North Carolina, _Curtis_; New England, _Frost_; New York, _Peck_; California, _H. and M. Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. _McIlvaine._

The caps are good cooked in any way.

(Plate CXXI.)

BOLETUS SCABER.
One-half natural size.
]

=B. sca´ber= Fr.—_scaber_, rough. (Plate CXVIII, fig. 4, p. 436.) =Pileus= convex, _glabrous, viscid when moist_, at length wrinkled or lined. =Tubes= free, convex, white, then sordid, their mouths minute, rotund. =Stem= solid, attenuated above, _roughened with fibrous scales_. =Spores= oblong-fusiform, snuff-brown, 14–18×4–6µ.

=Pileus= 1–5 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, 3–8 lines thick.

Woods, swamps and open places. Very common and appearing through summer and autumn.

This may fairly be called our most common and variable species. It is recorded in nearly every local list of fungi. The pileus is convex, hemispherical or even subconical. It may be glabrous, minutely tomentose, subvelvety or squamulose. The flesh is white or whitish and sometimes slightly changeable where wounded. The tubes are generally rather long and with a rounded or convex surface. The stem is distinctly scabrous or roughened with small blackish-brown or reddish dots or scales, the ground color generally being whitish, grayish or pallid. The spores have been described as pale-brown and light-yellowish. When caught in a mass on white paper they appear to me to approach snuff-brown. The viscidity of the pileus is not always clearly discernible. Indeed the pileus is often quite as _dry as in_ B. versipellis. When moistened by heavy rains it sometimes is smooth and clammy to the touch but scarcely viscid. Several varieties have been indicated which are expressive of the variations in the color of the pileus.

Var. _testa´ceus_. =Pileus= brick-red.

Var. _auranti´acus_. =Pileus= orange or orange-red.

These appear to connect this species and B. versipellis.

Var. _aluta´ceus_. =Pileus= yellowish-tan color.

Var. _fuligin´eus_. =Pileus= fuliginous or cinereous-fuliginous.

Var. _fus´cus_. =Pileus= brown or dark-brown.

Var. _oliva´ceus_. =Pileus= olivaceous.

Var. _ni´veus_. =Pileus= white, when old sometimes stained with blue or livid-blue.

To these might be added:

Var. _areola´tus_. =Pileus= rimose-areolate. (Plate CXVIII, fig. 4, p. 436.)

Var. _mutab´ilis_. =Flesh= changing slightly to brown or pinkish where wounded.

Var. _graci´lipes_. =Stem= very slender, 2–3 in. long, 2–3 lines thick. =Pileus= thin, translucent when held toward the light.

This Boletus is classed among the edible species, but it is said to be less agreeable than B. edulis. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_.

The numerous varieties with their peculiarities here given by Professor Peck will enable the finder of a Boletus with a distinctly scabrous stem—_roughened with scales, not reticulate_—to select its name. For the mycophagist it is enough to know that he has Boletus scaber. In all of its varieties it is edible. The stems, often the tubes, unless young, should be discarded, as they do not cook in the same time as the caps. The comparative excellence of the species rests with the devourer. It deserves a high place.

B. scaber, var. areolatus, Plate CXVIII, fig. 4, has slight flavor, but is of pleasing consistency.

=B. durius´culus= Schulz—somewhat hard. =Pileus= 2–5 in. across, hemispherical, minutely velvety, viscid when moist, varying in color from pale-brown, through dingy-chestnut, to umber-brown, often becoming cracked in areas when dry, interstices paler. =Flesh= thick, white or tinged yellow, when cut becoming reddish copper-color. =Tubes= ½-¾ in. long, shortened round the stem and free, openings about ⅔ mm. across, often compound, irregularly angular, bright-yellow. =Stem= 4–7 in. long, fusiform, thickest part 1½-2 in. across, situated below the middle, yellowish, rough with blackish points, which are sometimes arranged in a subreticulate manner, apex sometimes more or less grooved, solid, flesh of upper part becoming coppery like the pileus. =Spores= elongato-cylindrical, pale-umber, 14–16×5–6µ.

In woods. Esculent and very delicious. Allied to Boletus scaber, but distinguished by the bright-yellow tubes and the very firm flesh, which turns coppery-red when exposed to the air; this color eventually changes to a dingy grayish-violet. Also allied to Boletus porphyrosporus. _Massee._

Snow Hill, N.J. Gravelly soil, mixed woods, 1892. _McIlvaine._

The stem and tubes should be removed. The caps are very fine.

=B. albel´lus= Pk.—whitish. =Pileus= convex or gibbous, soft, glabrous, whitish. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= convex, free, or nearly so, small, subrotund, whitish, unchangeable. =Stem= _glabrous or minutely branny_, substriate, _bulbous or thickened at the base_, whitish. =Spores= brownish-ochraceous, 14–16×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Woods. New York, _Peck_.

This is closely related to B. scaber, of which it may possibly prove to be a dwarf form; but it is easily distinguished by its smooth or only slightly scurfy and subbulbous stem. It presents no appearance of the colored dot-like squamules which are a constant and characteristic feature of that species. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

West Virginia. Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia. _McIlvaine._

Specimens found at Mt. Gretna, Pa., had a satiny, glossy stem, beautifully furfuraceous, and stem _not_ thickened at base. Professor Peck, to whom specimens were sent, writes: “Stem is a little more furfuraceous, and not thickened at the base, otherwise the agreement is very good.” It is good fried.

=B. chro´mapes= Frost. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, slightly and sometimes fasciculately tomentose, pale-red. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= subadnate, more or less depressed around the stem, white or whitish, becoming brown. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, _rough-spotted_, whitish or pallid, _chrome-yellow at the base both without and within_, sometimes reddish above. =Spores= oblong, 12–14×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Woods. New England, _Frost_; New York, _Peck_.

The yellow base of the stem appears to be a peculiar and constant character by which the species may easily be recognized. It imitates Boletus piperatus in this respect, but in everything else it is very distinct from that plant. Sometimes the stem is so badly infested by larvæ that it is difficult to procure a sound specimen. The spores have a subferruginous color with a slight incarnate tint, but the rough-dotted stem indicates a relationship with B. scaber. Through this species, Boletus conicus and B. gracilis, the Versipelles and the Hyporhodii appear to run together. In the Catalogue of Plants of Amherst the specific name is “chromapus.” It would be more in accordance with present custom to write it “chromopus.” _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

A dozen or more specimens referable to this species were found by me at Mt. Gretna, Pa., August, 1897, in mixed woods. The caps were eaten and were excellent.

=B. nebulo´sus= Pk. =Pileus= convex, dry, snuff-brown or smoky-brown. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Tubes= convex, depressed around the stem, pallid or brownish, becoming purplish-brown where wounded, the mouths small, rotund. =Stem= enlarged toward the base, solid, scurfy, colored like the pileus. =Spores= 12.5–15×6µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Shaded banks by road-side. Raybrook. August.

No young or immature specimens were seen, and the description is to that extent incomplete. _Peck_, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

By a painting made by the writer September, 1885, Professor Peck identified the species of which it is a picture as B. nebulosus Pk. The following notes accompany it, which have been verified many times since their writing:

Oak woods. West Philadelphia, Pa., September. Mt. Gretna, Pa., September.

=Pileus= chestnut-brown and darker, covered with small, low, black spots; convex, often depressed in center, sharp on margin. =Flesh= white, thick, solid, unchangeable. =Tubes= very small, and light pinkish-brown. When touched they change to a deeper hue. =Stem= same color as pileus, but a shade lighter, solid, scurfy, having a striate appearance, enlarging toward base.

Taste sweet and pleasant. Cooked it is juicy, meaty and very fine.

=B. ful´vus Pk=.—brownish-yellow. (Plate CXVI, fig. 3, p. 420.) =Pileus= thick, convex or subcampanulate, dry, glabrous, rimose-areolate, tawny-yellow, the extreme margin dark-brown. =Flesh= spongy, tough, white, slowly assuming a reddish tint upon exposure to the air. =Tubes= rather long, ventricose, depressed around the stem and free or nearly so, greenish-yellow, the mouths small, tawny-yellow. =Stem= rather long, often narrowed and striate at the top, dotted with brownish-orange granules or points, radicating, tough, stuffed with greenish-yellow fibers, colored like the pileus. =Spores= unknown.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 4–5 in. long, 4–8 lines thick.

Cespitose on decaying stumps. West Philadelphia, Pa. August. _McIlvaine._

Mr. McIlvaine says that there were between twenty and thirty specimens on and about an old stump and that they were as attractive to the eye as a cluster of Clitocybe illudens. _Peck_, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 27, January, 1900.

Excellent in flavor, rather spongy, but fine.

HYPORHO´DII. _Gr_—somewhat rose-colored.

=Tubes= adnate to the stem, whitish, then white-incarnate from the rosy spores.

In this tribe the tubes are at first whitish, but with the development of the spores they usually assume a pinkish or flesh-colored hue. Wounds of the tubes in some species cause a change in color but not to blue, nor are the tube mouths differently colored as in the Luridi. The stem in some is more or less reticulated but this is scarcely a constant or reliable character in these species. Typically the spores are rosy or flesh-colored, but I have admitted species in which they incline to rust-colored, giving more weight to the color of the tubes than to that of the spores.

Pileus black or blackish B.
nigrellus

Pileus some other color 1

1. Stem more than four lines thick 2

1. Stem slender, generally less than four B.
lines thick gracilis

2. Stem not reticulated 3

2. Stem more or less reticulated 4

3. Tubes angular, flesh-colored B. conicus

3. Tubes round, white B.
alutarius

4. Taste mild B.
indecisus

4. Taste bitter B. felleus

_Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. con´icus= Rav.—conical. =Pileus= convex or _subconical_, clothed with bundled appressed _yellowish flocci_. =Flesh= white, unchangeable, tasteless. =Tubes= ventricose, flesh-colored, becoming darker from the spores, the mouths small, angular, slightly fringed. =Stem= glabrous, tapering upward, pale-yellow. =Spores= fusiform, subferruginous.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2 in. long, 6 lines thick.

Damp pine woods. South Carolina, _Ravenel_.

The species is compared to Boletus scaber, from which it differs in its smaller tubes and smooth stem, and from both this and B. albellus it differs in the color of the tubes and in the yellowish flocci of the pileus. I have seen no specimens, but on account of the color of the tubes I have placed the species with the Hyporhodii. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.

=B. gra´cilis= Pk.—slender. (Plate CXIV, fig. 1, p. 414.) =Pileus= convex, glabrous or minutely tomentose, rarely squamulose, ochraceous-brown, tawny-brown or reddish-brown. =Flesh= white. =Tubes= plane or convex, depressed around the stem, nearly free, whitish, becoming pale flesh-colored, their mouths subrotund. =Stem= _long, slender_, equal or slightly tapering upward, pruinose or minutely branny, even or marked by slender elevated anastomosing lines which form long narrow reticulations. =Spores= subferruginous, 12.5–17.5×5–6µ.

Var. _l[oe]´vipes_. =Stem= even.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.

Woods. New York, _Peck_; New England, _Frost_; Ohio, _Morgan_.

The slender habit separates this species from all the others here included in this tribe. Its spores are not a clear incarnate in color, but incline to dull-ferruginous, and by this character this and the preceding species connect this tribe with Versipelles. In color B. gracilis resembles some forms of B. felleus, but in size, habit and color of spores it is easily distinct. The tomentum of the pileus sometimes breaks into tufts or squamules. This is Boletus vinaceus, Frost MS. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S.