79 



distinct, and their tips always free and studded with little 



granules, which give them a flowery aspect. In a few genera 



the pores are far less typical, formed rather by elevations of 



the hymenium anastomosing so as to form little areoe, than 



regular pores. The Order Polyporei is intermediate between 



Agaricini and Hydnei, in the former Lenzites possesses gills 



anastomosing behind, and so forming spurious, but still radiating 



pores ; in the latter, the hymenium is at first constituted of 



teeth, but these are connected together at their base into lamellae. 



Genus 18. Boletus.! 



Hymenophore distinct from the hymenium itself, not descending 



between the pores, and there forming a trama ; the pores are, 



therefore, easily separable from the pileus. This structure readily 



distinguishes Boletus from the other genera of the order. 



Fries considers this genus as worthy of all attention, as the species 



form veiy valuable articles of food, a few poisonous kinds excepted, 



but even these, according to other writers, soon lose their bad 



qualities in drying. Dr. Badham remarks, "The Boleti form 



valuable articles of food on the Contment ; strings of them di-ied are 



sold in all the markets of Italy." He adds, on the authority of 



Vittadini, that they are composed of many different species, yet no 



accident was ever known to arise from the indiscriminate use of 



them ; whence he infers that all the species are innocuous, or that 



drying and cooking will extract any deleterious principle. He adds 



that the peasantry in certain districts eat B. Luridus, which is 



generally looked on as poisonous. Mr. W. G. Smith, in his book 



on Edibl© and Noxious Fungi, dilates in rapturous terms on the 



excellence of B. Edulis ; he also speaks very favourably of B. 



(Estivalis. Sound young specimens should be chosen, and the 



tubes scraped away before cooking. B. Edulis has been cultivated 



for the table. Roques describes the process thus : — " A quantity of 



ripe Boleti were placed in a watering pot, and the pot filled up with 



rain water, and the mixture left for three weeks, till the whole was 



in strong fermentation ; this fermented mass was then deposited in 



different situations under oak trees. For five years there was no 



X Boletus, from bolos, a lump or mass. 



