196 EDIBLE MUSHROOMS 



surface is soft and dry — subtomentous — to the touch. 

 Cracks in the cap become yellow, on which account 

 this species is called the "yellow -cracked Boletus," 

 in contradistinction to the red -cracked B. chrysen- 

 teron. Its most important distinction, however, is of 

 a chemical nature. 



The stem is stout, unequal, firm, yellowish, and 

 more or less ribbed, occasionally tinted, minutely 

 dotted, or faintly striped with the color of the cap. 

 The taste of the flesh is sweet and agreeable. 

 Palmer compares it to the flavor of walnuts. The 

 tube surface is yellow or yellowish green. 

 The blue and the tubes and yellowish flesh of cap 

 stain and stem turn a rich peacock -blue im- 



mediately on fracture, becoming deeper 

 moment by moment until the entire exposed portion 

 becomes leaden — especially noticeable in mature 

 specimens. The pore surface shows a similar blue 

 stain whenever bruised. The tubes are angular- 

 sided instead of round, and much larger than in the 

 B. edulis ; spores ochre colored. 



This blue stain was formerly, and is even now, 



deemed sufficient with many mycophagists to place 



this mushroom on the black-list, but is believed by 



Mr. Palmer and Mr. Mcllvaine to be unwarranted 



as a stigma, assuming that fresh speci- 



unwat"anted ^^^^ ^""^ employed. The B. subtomen- 



stigma tosus is also among the eleven edible 



Boleti in the list of Dr. Curtis, given 



on a previous page, and the present author has 



habitually eaten the species with enjoyment and 



without unpleasant results. Fresh young specimens 



