Boletus spectabilis.
Natural size.
B. specta´bilis Pk.—spectabilis, distinguished. Pileus broadly convex, at first covered with a red tomentum, then scaly, viscid when moist, red, the tomentose scales becoming grayish-red, brownish or yellowish. Flesh whitish or pale-yellow. Tubes at first yellow and concealed by a reddish glutinous membrane, then ochraceous, convex, large, angular, adnate. Stem nearly equal, annulate, yellow above the annulus, red or red with yellow stains below. Spores purplish-brown, 13–15×6–7µ.
Pileus 2–5 in. broad. Stem 3–5 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.
Thin woods in swamps. New York, Peck; Wisconsin, Bundy.
This is a rare and showy species which inhabits the cold northern swamps of the country. It probably extends into Canada. When cut, the flesh emits a strong, unpleasant odor. Wounds of the flesh made by insects or other small animals have a bright-yellow color. When young, the tomentose veil covers the whole plant, but it soon parts into scales on the pileus and partly or wholly disappears from the stem. Peck, Boleti of the U.S.
London, Can., J. Dearness; Peck, Rep. 44, N.Y. State Bot.
B. Elben´sis Pk. Pileus convex, glabrous, viscid when moist, dingy gray or pinkish-gray inclining to brownish, obscurely spotted or streaked as if with patches of innate fibrils. Flesh white. Tubes at first whitish, becoming dingy or brownish-ochraceous, nearly plane, adnate or slightly decurrent, rather large, angular. Stem nearly equal, annulate, whitish above the ring, colored like the pileus below, sometimes slightly reticulated at the top. Spores ferruginous-brown, 10–12×4–5µ.
Pileus 2–4 in. broad. Stem 3–5 in. long, 4–6 lines thick. Thin woods of tamarack, spruce and balsam. New York. Peck.