B O L 



B O L 



Diftionaire, fab voce Boletus), is to increafe a confujjpn al- 

 ready too great, and to overtvirn a nomenclature which has 

 been generally adopted in Europe fince the publication of the 

 fexnal iyfteni. For, however Linnxus mav in feme cafes 

 have capricioufly changed ancient names, and however it may 

 be wirtied that, in the prefent inftance, he had called his bole- 

 tus, agaricus, which would have prcfervcd to the ofBcinal 

 agaric its cuftomary generic denomination, it is better to let 

 things remain as they are, than again to unfettle the language 

 of the fcience, and thereby to impede its farther advance- 

 ment. We (hall, therefore, go on as we have begun, in 

 adhering ftrittly to the Linncean nomenclature, where we 

 are not induced to depart from it by weighty fcientific 

 reafons. 



Linnreus has enumerated only fourteen fpecies, and 

 Reichard has made no addition to the number. Gmelin 

 has extended them to a hundred and feven ; but there is 

 rcafon to fufpedl, that he has fometimes given the fame 

 fpccies more than once under a different name. The fettling 

 of iynonyms is in every part of botany an intricate and often 

 unfatisfaftory bufinefs, but peculiarly fo in the clafs crypto- 

 gamia. Withering, in the third edition of his Arrangement 

 of Britifh plants, has defcribed fifty-one fpecies, many of 

 which have feveral varieties. In this number are included 

 eight of the Linnaean fpecies. He difpofes them under 

 tiu-ee grand divifions, as they have central, lateral, or no 

 ftems ; and fubdivides them according to the colour of their 

 tubes. None of them being cultivated, we (hall confine our- 

 felves to thofe which are of Britifh growth. 

 Stem Centra!. 

 * Tubes luh'tte. I . B. pellucldus. " Tubes decurrent, 

 very fliort ; pores minute, angular : pileus concave, rich 

 brown, fcaly ; ftem whitifh, thick, fhort." 2. Yi.fulfufcus. 

 " Tubes very fhort ; pileus light brown, fmooth, clothy to 

 the touch, regularly convex; flefh very white; ftem pale 

 brown, covered with a beautiful white net-work over its 

 whole furface ; root conical ; refembles the elephantinus in 

 habit." 3. B. cyaiiefcens. " Tubes brownifh with age, not 

 decurrent; pileus brown, convex, very fiefliy ; flefh white, 

 changing to a fine blue when expofed to the air; ftem brown, 

 rounded at the bafe." 4. Y>. polyporus. " Tubes very fhort; 

 pores circular, extremely minute ; pileus brown, irregular ; 

 flefh very thin ; ftem brown, varying from perfectly central 

 to perfectly lateral, tough, thickening upwards." 5. B. 

 leptocephalus. " Tubes very fhort ; pileus tawny bay, flat, 

 thin, leatherlike ; ftem brownifli, thick as a crow-quill." 

 Firft obferved in Britain by Mr. Dickfon, growing on rotten 

 flicks. 6. B. aurantiacus. " Tubes not decurrent, readily 

 parting from the pileus; pileus convex, full orange-red, 

 vifcid, thin at the edge, and without tubes for about one- 

 tenth of an inch ; ftem whitifh, rough, with coloured pim- 

 ples, fpongy, filken." It is eaten in France when young. 

 * Tubes brown. 7. B. bovinus, Linn. " Tubes not touch- 

 ing the ftem, unequal in length; pileus thin at the edge, 

 brown or olive, clammy, large; flefh fpongy, white; ftem 

 dirty white, with reddifh ftains, from three to feven inches 

 high, and about an inch in diameter." It varies in the co- 

 lour of its tubes and pileus, and in the fmocthnefs or rough- 

 nefs of its ftem. 8. Vi.fubfquamofus. " Tubes decurrent, ob- 

 long ; pileus yellowifh brown, with red brown, fcurfy, 

 fcales, the centre hollowed ; flefh folid, pure white ; ftem 

 brownifh, tapering downwards." 9. B. perennis, Linn. 

 " Tubes decurrent, not feparating from the pileus, very 

 Ihort ; pileus flattifh, hollow in the centre, ftriated with hairs, 

 marked with alternate circles of brown and tawny, leathery ; 

 ftem red brown, often excentric, fhort, wiry, frequently com- 

 ing up fo thick that the piles run into one another." There 



is a variety of a cinnamon colour, within and without, the 

 B. c'lnnamomeus of Jacqnin, firft found in this kingdom by 

 Mr. Dickfon. 10. ^. fubtomentofus, Uinn. " Tubes rather 

 angular, of different fhapes ; pileus yellow, convex, flefhy, 

 fomewhat woolly; ftem yellow." 11. B. rubecLirius. 

 " Tubes olive-colour, fixed to the ftem; pores rich red 

 brown, moftly oval ; pileus red cinnamon, convex, foft to 

 the touch, rather clammy ; flefti thick, fpongy, buff-colour, 

 inftantly turning blue when wounded ; ftem red cinnamon, 

 fpongy within, and rich yellow, but inftantly changing to a 

 blue." J2. B. piperatus. " Tubes decurrent, deep orange, 

 or earthy red ; pores browner, open, irregular ; pileus yellow. 

 fmooth, nearly flat, thin at the edge ; ftem greenifh yellow." 

 Its pungency on the tongue and throat is like that of a cap- 

 ficum. Firft found in England by Mr. Sowerby, in Hainault 

 foreft, Effcx. * Tubts buff. 13. B. nummuJarius. " Tubes 

 loofe from the ftem, very fhort; pores angular ; pileus co- 

 lour of brown horn, with a black circle at the edge, convex, 

 dimpled, leathery, fmooth, very thin, about an inch in dia- 

 meter; ftem colour of brown horn, black at the bafe, 

 fmooth." Chiefly found on rotten branches of hazle. 14. 

 B. nigripes. " Tubes decurrent, very fhort; pileus whitifh, 

 the flze of a fixpence; ftem black at the bottom." * Tubes 

 yelloiu. 15. Y>.eJcphant\mis. " Tubes fnort, adhering firmly 

 to the pileus; pileus dead white, convex, but very irregular; 

 ftem yellow, thick and fhort." \6. V>. edulh. " Tabes not 

 fixed to the ftem, readily parting from the pileus; pores cir- 

 cular, fmall; pileus brown, with ruft-coloured patches, nearly 

 globular, feven or eight inches acrofs when fully expanded: 

 flefh white, greenith when wounded; ftem liii'ht brownifh 

 yellow, tapering upwards." Bulliard reckons Tt a variety of 

 bovinus. 17. B. gregarius. " Tubes fliort ; poies oblong, 

 unequal; pileus chefnut, fmooth, thin, flattifh; flcfli wdiite, 

 about three inches over; ftem pale chefnut, pinky below, iii- 

 fenfibly fwelling into the pileus. iS.B. /u/eus. "Tubes 

 readily feparating from the pileus ; pores round, fn^'all; pileus 

 deep bay, rather conrcal, ftriated, vifcid ; flefli white, not 

 changing; ifem dirty white, cylindrical, widening at top-; 

 ring permanent." 19. B. oUvarcus. " Tubes inftantly turn- 

 ing blue when wounded; pores bright yellow, round or oval; 

 pileus olive-brown ; flcfli bright yellow, turning blue when ex- 

 pofed to the air; ftem brown below, yellow or crimfoii 

 above." 20. B. fiiiiguineus . " Tubes a little decurrent, un- 

 equal in length, changing to deep blue; pores lemou-yellow, 

 angular; pileus crinifon, changing to rich red brown, femi- 

 globular; flefli white, changing flowly to a bluifti caft when 

 wounded; ftem yellow, with broad criinfon ftreaks, appa- 

 rently twifted." Found by Dr. Withering, near Birming- 

 ham, but only in one place. 21. B. chryfentercr,. " Tub^f 

 decurrent; pileus gently convex, pinky-red; ftem yellow 

 bt-low, pinky upwards, fwelling in the middle." 22. L. 

 favus. " Tubes a little decurrent ; pores irregular in fhape 

 andfize; pileus convex, deep orange when young, fhining 

 with a vifcid varnifli; ftem ycUow, cylindrical; curtain white, 

 leaving a ring." 23. B. laa'ijluus. *' Tubes in contaft with 

 the ftem; pores very minute; pileus reddifti-bufF, very con- 

 vex, vifcid; ftem bright yellow." The plant abounds with 

 a mild milky juice. Its flavour is like that of the agaricus 

 campeftris. 24. B. fubflnaus. " Tubes fhort; pores mi- 

 nute; pileus yellow, brown, olive, convex, thin, fmooth, 

 leathery; flefti thin, white; ftem dirty yellow, hard, tough, 

 fometimes excentric. 



Stem lateral. 



* Tubes luhite. 25. B. albidus. " Tubes decurrent, not 



perpendicular to the pileus; pores angular, verj- irregular ir 



fhape; pileus white, lobed ; ftem folid, fometimes only a 



knob." The whole plant white, with a cottony fubftance, 



which. 



