Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati. 



Plate XII. 



BOLETUS ELEGANS, Fries. 



Elegant Boletus. 



Spec. Char. Boletus elegans. Pileus compact, from an inch and a half to three inches broad, sub-viscid 

 at first, afterwards nearly devoid of gluten ; plano-convex, sub-ferrugiuous yellow, becoming bright golden yellow ; 

 margin smooth, at tu-st involute, then plane, acute. Flesh yellow, unchangeable. Stem firm, in youth thickened at 

 the base, at length nearly equal, yellow, becoming rufescent, reticidated and punctate above the ring. King mem- 

 branaceous, fugacious, in youth white, then clingy yellow. Tubes decurrent, minute, simple, golden sulphur. 

 Spores pale ochre. Taste pleasant, esculent. 



The major form of this species, B. flavus of Fries and other authors, differs oidy in being more coarsely 

 developed in all its parts. 

 Boletus elegans, Fries. 



luteus, Krombhok. 



flavus, Bolton, Withering, Fries. 



Grevillei, Greville, Berkeley. 



Rah. Common in the Highlands of Scotland ; more rare in England ; in fir woods and under birches. May 

 to October. 



Precedence should perhaps be given, in describing two varieties of a Boletus, to the major form, and 

 had we followed only our own ideas on the subject we should have called the present pretty species, Boletus 

 flavus of Bolton, var. elef/oMS of Fries. Perhaps, however, it was the exercise of sound discretion, such as 

 we mycologists are bound humbly and faithfully to beUeve our great master, Ehas Fries of Upsal, possesses, 

 which made him select the letter defined of the two forms, and that is unquestionably the minor, as the type 

 of the species. We say " better defined," because B. flavus, in its usual appearance and development, 

 resembles B. luteus {B. annularis of the older authors) very closely, so that to a common observer it might 

 be difficult to point out their distinctive characters ; while these are easily shown as existing between 

 the extremes ; that is, our refined example of the one species, justly styled " elegans," and that repulsive 

 individual which stands first under the class Tiscipelles, B. Mens ; we trust, however, some day to rescue 

 even liim from undeserved obloquy. Poor fellow ! he cannot help his ugly coat, but under it hes liidden great 

 worth. The use of the disguising coat is another thing, there we confess ourselves foiled ; but in this 

 world of guesses, perhaps a conjecture pretty near tlie truth may present itself to some inquiring student. 

 " Because " cannot always follow " why," or this mortal would assume at once the promised immortahty, 

 when we shall no longer " see tlu-ough a glass darkly :" then we shall know, no longer guess, and then the 

 investigator who reverentially seeks in Nature the handiwork of Nature's God, shall verily have his reward. 



