102 ON THE MEDICINAL AND TOXICOLOGICAL 



comprendre un pareil entliusiasme," exclaims M. Roques, oj). cit. 

 suj). 128. 



Boletus castaneus, Bull., Champ. 328 ; Eoques. 

 Its taste is pleasant, and it is sometimes used as an article of 

 food, Roques, Hist, des Champ. 147. 



Esculent 



Boletus edulis, Bull., Champ, t. 60; D. C. Fl. Fr. 

 " hdhosus, Schoeff., 134. 

 " solidus, Sow. 

 " lovinus, With., 4, 273. 

 Boletus, called in Italy Ceppalello buono. Woods and pastures, 

 under oaks ; summer and autumn ; N. C. to Pa. 



Tliough neglected in this country, it appears to be a most val- 

 uable article of food, and is much eaten throughout Europe. It 

 resembles very closely in taste the common mushroom, and is 

 quite as delicate, and might be used with much advantage, as it 

 abounds in seasons when a mushroom is scarcely to be found. 

 Like that, it can be cultivated, but by a much more simple pro- 

 cess, as it is merely necessary to moisten the ground under oak 

 trees with water, in which a quantity has been allowed to fer- 

 ment. This method is said to be infallible, and is practiced in 

 France, in the Department des Landes. See Roques' Hist, des 

 Champ. 16 ; Crypt. Eng ; Mer. & De L., 635, 1 ; Descourt., 

 Champ. Comest. Suspect. 



This plant was well known among the Romans, and was 

 called by Apicius, Fungus farnei. 



M. Roques enters with more tlian ordinary zest into the de- 

 scriptions of the various modes of preparing this plant for the 

 table ; and we refer the curious to the Hist, des Champs. Comest. 

 et Yen. 136. " Yoyez-ce gourmand, ce mycophile qui touclie a 

 la convalescence, et cliez qui I'appetit se reveille ! 



Boletus squmnosus, N. Roques, Hist, des Champs. Decayed 

 trunks of trees, especially on ash. 



Roques says that, as it changes color, he would advise that 

 it should not be eaten. Berkeley, in the Crypt. England, 135, 

 mentions, however, of B. squamosus of Iluds., on authority of 

 this writer, that it is eaten in parts of France. 



In concluding his notice of this tribe of plants, M. Roques 

 alludes to the general observations adduced by Paulet, to show 



