126 THE POLTPORACEAE OF WISCONSIN. 



this species may be doubtful. When preserved in alcohol the whole 

 plant turns black and the alcohol is also blackened. 



C.Versipelles. Pores small, round, free. Spores ferruginous. 



Boletus versipellis Fries (Plate XXIII, fig. 81). 



Pileus convex, dry, at first compact and minutely tomentose, then 

 squamose or smooth, reddish or orange-red, the margin appendiculate 

 with the inflexed remains of the membranous veil, flesh white or grayish ; 

 tubes at first concave or nearly plane, almost or quite free, minute, sor- 

 did-white, their mouths gray; stem equal, or tapering upward, solid, 

 rugose-squamose, whitish or pallid ; spores oblong-fusiform, 13.8 to 17.6 

 microns long, 4 to 7 microns broad. 



Pileus 5 to 15 cm. broad ; stem 8 to 12.5 cm. long, 8 to 21 mm. thick. 

 Woods and open places, especially in sandy soil. 



Peck (21, 2, 8, p. 147,) says: "The fragments of the membranous veil, 

 which adhere to the margin of the pileus afford the most available char- 

 acter by which to separate this species from Boletus scaber. The pre- 

 vailing reddish or orange hue of the pileus scarcely differs from that 

 of var. aurantiacus of that species. In American specimens the stem is 

 precisely alike in both species. Fries says that the two appear to be 

 distinct but are defined with difficulty on account of analogy in color 

 and variation in stature. It is recorded as edible, but Gillet says it is 

 scarcely to be recommended." 



Specimens were collected near Milwaukee, Hazelhurst, Star Lake and 

 Crandon. At the latter place it was the commonest type growing on the 

 sandy banks around Sand Lake, just at the margin of the mixed forest. 

 In the largest specimen measured, which was, however, too badly in- 

 fected to be collected, the pileus was 18 cm. in diameter and 3 cm. thick ; 

 the stipe was 16 cm. long and 3.5 cm. thick. This was an exceptionally 

 large one. The usual measurements are 5 to 8 cm. broad; stipe 8 cm- 

 long and 2 cm. thick. 



The pileus is usually of a dull reddish-orange, tomentose; the mar- 

 gin appendiculate ; the tubes depressed around the stipe, sordid- white, 

 small, changing first to dark-blue then inky black when bruised, how- 

 ever, this change is not always marked. It is more noticeable in young 

 specimens. The stipe is very thick, white, black-punctate, scabrous 

 like B. scaber. The flesh of the stipe changes color like the pores. 



