Toadstools, mushrooms, fungi, edible and poisonous; one thousand American fungi

_Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. All authors, up to this date, agree in stating that the species within this series are poisonous. Experiments made by Smiedeberg and Koppe with Boletus Satanus developed symptoms closely resembling poisoning by Amanitæ. Kobert, who made analysis of B. luridus, shows that it contains muscarine, which is one of the most deadly poisons. Such a mass of evidence commands respect. It is urged upon finders of these species to either leave them alone or test them in minute quantities until they have established their ability to eat them without injury. I have taken special pains to establish the edibility of B. Satanus and B. luridus. For fifteen years I have eaten them in quantity when opportunity afforded, in West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. My family, and my friends in widely separated localities, have partaken freely of them many times and without discomfort. They are remarkably fine eating. The same can be said of B. alveolatus, B. purpureus, B. subvelutipes. I have not seen the other species of this tribe. I have determined so many of the reputed poisonous species to be edible, that unless positively authenticated, I do not accept repute as truth, but carefully test suspicious species upon myself. When sure there is no danger, I as carefully have them tested by my numerous under-tasters—male and female. =B. Sa´tanus= Lenz.—Satanic. =Pileus= convex, _glabrous_, somewhat gluey, _brownish-yellow or whitish_. =Flesh= whitish, becoming _reddish or violaceous_ where wounded. =Tubes= free, yellow, their mouths bright red becoming orange-colored with age. =Stem= thick, ovate-ventricose, marked above with red reticulations. =Spores= 12×5µ. =Pileus= 3–8 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long. Woods. Rare. North Carolina, _Curtis_; New York, _Peck_; California, _H. and M._, _N.J. Ellis_. Though mild to the taste, this Boletus is said to be very poisonous, a character suggestive of the specific name. Fries describes the color of the spores as earthy-yellow; Smith as rich brown. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, _McIlvaine_. Boletus Satanus is sometimes plentiful in spots. Where it luxuriates it is a rich decoration to the ground, and earth upon upturned-roots upon which it often grows. It does not live long after reaching maturity, but decomposes into a putrescent mass. Its reputation rivals that of the original possessor of its name. But old proverb sayeth that even “The Devil is not as black as he is painted.” See remarks heading Luridi. =B. alveola´tus= B. and C. =Pileus= convex, glabrous, shining, bright crimson or maroon-color, sometimes paler and varied with patches of yellow. =Flesh= firm, white, changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= _adnate, subdecurrent_, yellow with maroon-colored mouths, the hymenial surface _uneven with irregular alveolar depressions_. =Stem= very _rough with the margins of rather coarse subreticular depressions_, the reticulations bright-red above with yellow stains. =Spores= yellowish-brown, 12.5–15×4–5µ. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 9 lines thick. Damp woods. New England, _Frost_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. West Virginia mountains, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, in mixed woods and on banks of streams. _McIlvaine._ B. alveolatus appears to be more generally distributed than B. Satanus. It is not as clannish, though occasionally three or four are found growing together. When growing from the banks of creeks, or between the roots of beech and other trees in low places, it is often deformed in cap and stem. The texture is firm, close and the taste is very pleasant. It botanically takes its place in this suspected series. I consider it one of the best Boleti. See remarks heading Luridi. =B. lu´ridus= Schaeff.—lurid in color. =Pileus= convex, tomentose, _brown-olivaceous_, then _somewhat viscose_, sooty. =Flesh= yellow, changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= free, yellow, becoming greenish, their mouths round, vermilion, _becoming orange_. =Stem= stout, vermilion, somewhat orange at the top, _reticulate or punctate_. =Spores= greenish-gray, 15×9. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long. The lurid Boletus, though pleasant to the taste, is reputed very poisonous. _Boletus rubeolarius_ Pers., having a short bulbous scarcely reticulated stem, is regarded as a variety of this species. The red-stemmed Boletus, _B. erythropus_ Pers., is also indicated as a variety of it by Fries. It is smaller than B. luridus, has a brown or reddish-brown pileus and a slender cylindrical stem, not reticulated, but dotted with squamules. It has been reported from California by Harkness and Moore. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. Var. _erythropus_ received from Dr. J.W. Harshberger, Philadelphia, May, 1896. Often shining as if varnished and very handsome. I frequently found it in West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in mixed woods among leaves. Its reputation is bad. It is undoubtedly edible by many, and is delicious. The caution heading Luridi should be carefully observed. =B. purpu´reus= Fr.—purple. =Pileus= convex, opaque, dry, _somewhat velvety, purplish-red_. =Flesh= in the young plant only becoming blue, then dark-yellow. =Tubes= nearly free, yellow or greenish-yellow, their mouths minute, _purple-orange_, changing to blue where wounded. =Stem= stout, firm, adorned with purple veins or dots, sometimes reticulated at the apex only, yellow, reddish within, especially at the base. =Spores= greenish-brown, 10–12×5–6µ. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 6–8 lines thick. Woods. North Carolina, _Curtis_; New York, _Peck_; Minnesota, _Johnson_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. West Virginia, Mt. Gretna, Pa., _McIlvaine_. At Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897–1898, B. purpureus was common in oak and chestnut woods. It is a showy species, easily distinguished by its velvety cap. In young specimens the stem is robust, then tapering upward. When old the cap loses its rich color toward the margin, becoming yellowish. The flesh is thick, firm and of excellent flavor. It undoubtedly proved itself delicious and harmless to many eating it. =B. vermiculo´sus= Pk.—wormy. =Pileus= broadly convex, thick, firm, _dry_, glabrous, or very minutely tomentose, brown, yellowish-brown or grayish-brown, sometimes tinged with red. =Flesh= white or whitish, quickly changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= plane or slightly convex, nearly free, yellow, their mouths small, round, brownish-orange, becoming darker or blackish with age, changing promptly to blue where wounded. =Stem= subequal, firm, _even_, paler than the pileus. =Spores= ochraceous-brown, 10–12×4–5µ. Var. _Spra´guei_. (Boletus Spraguei Frost, Bull. Buff. Soc., p. 102.) =Stem= yellow above, minutely velvety below. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 4–10 lines thick. Woods. New York, _Peck_; Ohio, _Morgan_; New England, _Frost_. The species is separated from B. luridus by its dry pileus, white flesh, even stem, which is neither reticulated nor dotted, and by its smaller spores. I can not distinguish specimens of B. Spraguei received from Mr. Frost, from this species. The name is scarcely appropriate, for specimens are not always infested by larvæ. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. I have not seen this species, therefore, have not tested it. CAUTION. =B. subvelu´tipes= Pk.—velvety-stem. =Pileus= convex, firm, subglabrous, yellowish-brown or reddish-brown. =Flesh= whitish, both it and the tubes changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= plane or slightly convex, nearly free, yellowish, their mouths small, brownish-red. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, firm, even, somewhat pruinose above, _velvety with a hairy tomentum toward the base_, yellow at the top, reddish-brown below, varied with red and yellow within. =Spores= 15–18×5–6µ. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–6 lines thick. Woods. New York, _Peck_. This species resembles the preceding one in general appearance, but it is very distinct by its much longer spores and by the velvety hairiness toward the base of the stem. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. Boletus subvelutipes is common in some localities in Pennsylvania, especially on the Springton Hills, in chestnut and oak woods. I have frequently eaten it and found it excellent. Others should carefully test it. =B. fir´mus= Frost—firm. =Pileus= convex, _very firm_, slightly tomentose, gray, often pitted. =Flesh= _yellowish or deep-yellow_, changing to blue where wounded. =Tubes= _adnate_, deeply arcuate, unequal, yellow, their mouths _tinged with red_. =Stem= solid, hard, _very finely reticulated_, yellowish, reddish at the base. =Spores= 13×3µ. =Pileus= 2.5–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long. Rich moist wood. New England, _Frost_. Apparently a well-marked and very distinct species. According to the author, it is readily distinguished by its tenacity and generally distorted growth. I have not seen it nor the next. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. Professor Peck’s measurement of spores, 50th Report, New York State Botanist, is 13µ long, 6µ wide. =B. magnis´porus= Frost. =Pileus= convex, firm, tomentose, _golden-yellow_; tubes _scarcely adnate_, even, greenish-yellow, their mouths light cinnabar-red. =Stem= long, slender, yellow above, red below. =Spores= 15–18×6µ. =Pileus= 2.5 to 3.5 in. broad. Woods and thickets. New England, _Frost_; Ohio, _Morgan_. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. I have not recognized it. CAUTION. =B. Fros´tii= Russell. =Pileus= convex, polished, shining, _blood-red_, the margin thin. =Flesh= scarcely changing to blue. =Tubes= nearly free, greenish-yellow, becoming yellowish-brown with age, their mouths blood-red or cinnabar. =Stem= equal or tapering upward, distinctly reticulated, firm, blood-red. =Spores= 12.5–15×5µ. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick. Grassy places under trees or in thin woods. New England, _Frost_; New York, _Peck_; New Jersey, _Ellis_. This is a highly colored, beautiful Boletus, but it is not common. The stem sometimes fades with age, and both it and the tubes are apt to lose their color in drying. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. I have not recognized it. CAUTION. =B. Sullivan´tii= B. and M. =Pileus= hemispherical, glabrous, reddish-tawny or brown, brownish when dry, cracked in squares. =Tubes= free, convex, medium size, angular, longer toward the margin, their mouths reddish. =Stem= solid, violaceous at the thickened base, red-reticulated at the apex, expanded into the pileus. =Spores= pallid ochraceous, oblong-fusiform, 10–20µ long. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long. Compact soil. Ohio. _Sullivant._ The species is said to be intermediate between Boletus scaber and B. edulis. From the former it differs in its reticulated stem, from the latter, in its larger tubes and from both in its stratum of tubes being remote from the stem. I have not seen it. _Peck_, Boleti of the U.S. =B. Un´derwoodii= Pk. =Pileus= rather thin, convex, becoming nearly plane, slightly velvety, bright brownish-red, becoming paler with age. =Flesh= yellow, changing to greenish-blue where wounded. =Tubes= adnate or slightly decurrent, greenish-yellow, becoming bluish where wounded, their mouths very small, round, cinnabar red, becoming brownish-orange. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, somewhat irregular, solid, yellow without and within. =Spores= 10–12 x 5µ. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 4–6 lines thick. Grassy woods. Auburn, Alabama. July. _Underwood._ This species is remarkable for its adnate or subdecurrent tubes, in which it departs from the character of the tribe to which it belongs according to the colors of the tubes. _Peck_, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3. =B. par´vus= Pk.—_parvus_, small. =Pileus= convex, becoming plane, often slightly umbonate, subtomentose, reddish. =Flesh= yellowish-white, slowly changing to pinkish where wounded. =Tubes= nearly plane, adnate, their mouths rather large, angular, at first bright red, becoming reddish-brown. =Stem= equal or slightly thickened below, red. =Spores= oblong, 12.5×4µ. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–3 lines thick. Grassy woods. Auburn, Ala. July. _Underwood._ _Peck_, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3. VERSIPEL´LES—_verto_, to change; _pellis_, a skin. =Tubes= at first white or whitish, minute, round, equal, forming a convex stratum free from the stem. Stem black B. alboater Stem some other color 1