Order Hymenomtcetes. Tribe Pileati. 



Plate XXV. 



BOLETUS AESTIVALIS, Fries. 



Summer Boletus. 



Spec. Clmr. B. ^stivalis. Extremely large and robust, the example given measui-ing twenty-four inches 

 round the margin of the cap, and seven inches and a half round the stem. Pileus pulvinate, obtuse, the epidermis 

 smooth, soft, silky, opake, olivaceous-buff, pallescent in dry weather when young, afterwards darker; sometimes 

 channelled, but yiot cracking in an areolated manner. Flesh pure white, not reddish beneath the epidermis, tinged with 

 yellow near the tubes, never acquiring a blue or green tinge at any period. Tubes small, the pores scarcely visible 

 in youth, pallid wliitish, then lemon-colom-ed, at length olive and moderately large, elongate, equal, subdeciu-rent. 

 Stem stout, subconic or bulbous, smooth, not reticulated ; the upper portion always remaining pure clear yellow, 

 the lower stained with crimson cinctures. Esculent. 

 Boletus sestivalis. Fries, Berkeley (MSS.). 

 TuBiPOBns BBstivalis, Paulet. 

 Boletus Cepa, Thore. 



Hah. In the woods of southern and western Europe, from May to July. Found by Miss F. Reed, in Hants. 



This, according to Paulet, is among the most fragrant and delicious, as assuredly it is among the 

 largest, of the Boletus tribe. It has, however, been a stranger to the British mycologist hitherto ; even 

 Fries had never seen it when he drew up its character for the ' Epicrisis ; ' but by a curious coincidence he 

 sent distinctive sketches of both B. astivalis and B. impolitus to Mr. Berkeley during the period that our 

 drawing was in the hands of that gentleman for examination, thereby enabling our British authority to 

 pronounce positively upon the identity of the species. 



It is astonishing, that while, in proportion to the number of known funguses. Great Britain is 

 extremely rich, in students of them she has hitherto fallen sadly behind; and so little interesting to the 

 generality of her sons and daughters are these productions given by Nature with a liberal and beneficent 

 hand, that to inspire a more general taste for this branch of botany is apparently a hopeless task. Some 

 may worship Plora, others revere Ceres and rejoice in Pomona, but to what goddess of woods and fields 

 shall we dedicate Mycology? what umbrage-screened dryad or dewy-buskined nymph will protect and 

 bring into fashion the useful and beautiful among the fungus tribes ? The fairies had the glory of the 

 green rings ascribed to them, but the fairies are gone now, and few would care if they had not left the 

 Agarics behind them. 



Once, in the days 



Of earth's sweet prime. 

 The mountain fays 



Enjoyed om" clime, — 



On soft deer-grass, 

 By shady tree. 



Would lightly pass 

 In revelry. 



