SOME COMMON MUSIIliOOMS AND HOW TO KNOW THEM 45 



and at niaturit.v inaikcd wilh more or less radial in;; lines. The llesh is red, 

 thick, soil, juiey. and traversed hy tenacimis lllters. The tubes are at ftrst 

 short and y(>llo\vish. becoming elon^iated and diseolored in ugi'. 



The ('ap is 'Al^ ••> ■'^ iTicbi's broad, reported as attaining; in En.i;lan<I a weight 

 of .'it) iiounds. 



Tliis f'un.mis is variously known as the beefsteak fungus, beef tongue, oak 

 tongue, 01" chestnut tongue. It grows from decaying crevices of certain d<'Cid- 

 uous trees, such as oak and chestnut, but preferably the chestnut. The beef- 

 steak fungus is widely distributed and lias :in inteiiial ional reputation for its 

 edibility. 



BOLETUS 



In general appearance, namely, the pileate and stipitate character 

 of the plants, the species of the oenns Boletus resemble members of 

 the Aii:aricaeeae. The imjjortant diflerence is the fact that in species 

 of Boletus tlie spores, instead of bein<>- developed on "iills, are borne 

 in numerous small tubes, which are closely crowded but easily sepa- 

 rable from one another and from the hymeiiophore. 



Most of the plants of this oeiuis are terrestrial, but occasionally 

 they are to be found o:rowing on wood. Some species are edible and 

 considered exceedingly good, while others are extremely dangerous. 

 The phenomenon of changing color on exposure to air exhibited by 

 certain species is not a character peculiar to either poisonous or 

 edible varieties. 



KEY TO SPECIES OF BOLETUS 



Surface of hymenium yellow, orange, or greenish. 



Ring present ; cap distinctly viscid ^\•llen moist ; stem 



granular-dotted above the I'ing B. Inteus. 



Ring absent : 



Stem more or less dotted with granules ; pileus dis- 

 tinctly viscid when moist — 



Stem long and distinctly gianular-dotted B. (/ifnrulatus. 



Stem short and indistinctly granular-dotted B. hreviijes. 



Stem not dotted with granules, but reticulate with a 

 network, of lin(>s, pruinose, or fibrous-striatt^ — 

 Stem reticulate — 



Tube mouths eventually bright red to orange; 



surface of caj) becoming whitish B. ■sajanas. 



Tube mouths fiesh color; cap brownish tawny; 



fle.sh bitter to the taste B. fcllens. 



Tube mouths creamy white then greenish B. rduVis. 



Stem not reticulate — 



Pileus and stem dark red and pruinose; tubes 

 bright yellow changing to blue when 



wounded -. B. bicolor. 



Pileus darkish fuscous red, surface areolate 

 cracked, the interstices red ; stem fibrous- 

 striate ; tubes bright yellow then greenish 



blue B. chryscnteron. 



Pileus bay brown ; stem brown ; pruinate ; 

 tubes creamy citron, turning bluish green 

 when touched B. badius. 



BOLETUS LUTEtTS. (EDIBLE) 



The cap is convex, becoming nearly plane, viscid or glutinous when moi.st, 

 dull yellowish to reddish brown, sometimes streaked or spotted: the llesh is 

 whiti.sh or dull yellowish; the tubes are adnate. minute, yellow liecoming darker 

 with age ; the stem is stout, pale yellowish, brownish or reddish, dotted ab(rs'e 



