Polyporaceee 



Boletus. Boletus cyanescens is a sparse grower. The quality of the juice va- 

 ries. That of young specimens stains the fingers blue, that of old, brown. 

 The caps are firm and make an excellent dish cooked in any way. 



B. casta'neus Bull. chestnut. (Plate CXIV, fig. 3, p. 414. ) Pileus 

 convex, nearly plane or depressed, firm, even, dry, minutely velvcty- 

 tomentose, cinnamon or reddish-brown. Flesh white, unchangeable 

 Tubes free, short, small, white becoming yellow. Stem equal or 

 tapering upward, even, stuffed or hollow, clothed and colored like the 

 pileus. Spores 10-12.5x6-7.5/4. 



Pileus 1.5-3 m - broad. Stem 1-2.5 m - l n g, 3-5 l mes thick. 



Woods and open places. Rather common and wide spread. Peck, 

 Boleti of the U. S. 



Boletus castaneus is one of the neatest looking of fungi. The pre- 

 vailing color is cinnamon, that of the tubes white or very light yellow, ' 

 spotted with brown wherever insects have touched them. The pore 

 surface of mature specimens is usually irregular. Whoever has seen 

 the stalagmites of Luray Cave will recognize their color on the stems of 

 B. castaneus. These are brittle, snapping like pipe stems, with a small 

 tube in center. 



The fungus is common from June until September. It is gregarious, 

 occasionally three or four individuals form a group. Either raw or 

 cooked the caps are edible and will become favorites. 



B. Mur'rayi B. and C. Pileus hemispherical, granulated, vivid red. 

 Flesh yellow. Tubes decurrent, about I line deep, yellow. Stem 

 clavate, even, pale-yellow. Spores pale-yellow. 



Pileus 2-3 in. broad, nearly 1.5 thick. 



New England, Murray. 



On account of the color of the spores this species has been placed 

 with the Cariosi. The description does not mention the character of 

 the interior of the stem, and the decurrent tubes depart from the char- 

 acter of the typical species so that its true position is uncertain. The 

 species seems well marked by the character of the pileus. Peck, Boleti 

 of the U. S. 



B. isabelli'nus Pk. Pileus convex, firm, minutely tomentose, 

 whitish, becoming darker and smoother with age. Flesh isabelline. 



472 



