1+1 
BOLETUS CYANESCENS, Bull, 
By M, C. Cookb, Esa. 
(Plate XXX., Figs. 7 and 8.) 
Pileus convexo-cxpandedj closely tonientose or floccoso-squamose, 
opaque, tail -coloured, becoming brownish; flesh compact, white, dark- 
blue when broken ; stem stuffed, then hollow, venti'icose^villoso-pruinose, 
of the same colour, constricted above, even, white; tubes free, minute, 
round, white, then yellow (Bull. t. 369). In woods. Not found since 
the time of Sibthorp (Berk. Outl. 236). 
Tills is the description given by the Rev, M. J. Berkeley, on the 
authority of BuUiard. In the * English Flora/ vol. v. p. 154, he adds, 
" Pileus 2-5 inches broad, rigid, pale, straw-coloured, subfuliginous, 
the margin acute; flesh white, when broken changing instantly to the 
most beautiful azure blue, and when squeezed distilling a blue juice ; 
tubes short, when 3'oung scarcely a line long, white or lemon-coloured ; 
stem distinct from the pileus, the apex contracted, brittle, never reti- 
culated^ but villoso-pruinose; sporules white (Fries, Syst. Myc. i. 395). 
Towards the close of September, 1864, I found three specimens of 
this Boletus in the neighbourhood of the village of Neatishead, in 
Norfolk, growing by the roadside at the bottom of a hcdgebank. As 
they grew, I believed them to be only specimens of Agaricus camj}estris, 
so much did they resemble in size and form the uncultivated variety of 
the Mushroom, common in the same localities at that period of the 
year, I liad, in fact, passed them as such, but a lingering doubt 
whether 1 might not be mistaken caused me to return, for nothing but 
the top of the pilel were visible amongst the herbage, and, on gatl\er- 
ing them, I immediately became convinced of my error. On this occa- 
sion, two were collected from the same spot, the other was found alone, 
at the distance of a quarter of a mile, and a day or two afterwards. 
I do not remember having seen any other figures of this plant than 
Bulliard's (pi. 369), and that in Eoques' *Histoire des Champignons/ 
pi. 8, fig, 1. The latter certainly does not much resemble the figure 
which accompanies this account, and the former differs in some points 
to which I will briefly refer hereafter, having first given a detailed 
description of the features presented by my specimens. I am induced 
to do so at greater length than would otherwise have been necessary 
