SOME COMMON MUSHROOMS AND HOW TO KNOW THEM 45 



and at maturity marked with more or less radiating lines. The flesh is red, 

 thick, soft, juicy, and traversed by tenacious fibers. The tubes are at first 

 short and yellowish, becoming elongated and discolored in age. 



The cap is 3% to 8 inches broad, reported as attaining in England a weight 

 of 30 pounds. 



This fungus is variously known as the beefsteak fungus, beef tongue, oak 

 tongue, or chestnut tongue. It grows from decaying crevices of certain decid- 

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

 steak fungus is widely distributed and has an international reputation for its 

 edibility. 



BOLETUS 



In general appearance, namely, the pileate and stipitate character 

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

 the Agaricaceae. The important difference is the fact that in species 

 of Boletus the spores, instead of being developed on gills, are borne 

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

 rable from one another and from the hymenophore. 



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

 they are to be found growing 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 when moist ; stem 



granular-dotted above the ring B. luteus. 



Ring absent : 



Stem more or less dotted with granules; pileus dis- 

 tinctly viscid when moist — 



Stem long and distinctly gianular-dotted B . granulosus. 



Stem short and indistinctly granular-dotted _. B. brevipes. 



Stem not dotted with granules, but reticulate with a 

 network of lines, pruinose, or fibrous-striate — 

 Stem reticulate — 



Tube mouths eventually bright red to orange ; 



surface of cap becoming whitish B.saJanas. 



Tube mouths fiesh color ; cap brownish tawny ; 



flesh bitter to the taste B. felleus. 



Tube mouths creamy white then greenish B. edulis. 



Stem not reticulate — 



Pileus and stem dark red and pruinose ; tubes 

 bright yellow changing to blue when 



wounded B. Mcolor. 



Pileus darkish fuscous red, surface areolate 

 cracked, the interstices red ; stem fibrous- 

 striate ; tubes bright yellow then greenish 



blue B. clirysenteron. 



Pileus bay brown ; stem brown ; pruinate ; 

 tubes creamy citron, turning bluish green 

 when touched B. Radius. 



BOLETUS LUTEUS. (EDIBLE) 



The cap is convex, becoming nearly plane, viscid or glutinous when moist, 

 dull yellowish to reddish brown, sometimes streaked or spotted ; the flesh is 

 whitish or dull yellowish ; the tubes are adnate, minute, yellow becoming darker 

 with age ; the stem is stout, pale yellowish, brownish or reddish, dotted above 



