B. rubinel´lus Pk.—dim. of ruber, red. Pileus broadly conical or convex, viscid when moist, subtomentose or slightly pubescent when dry, red fading to yellow on the margin. Flesh whitish or yellowish, taste mild. Tubes adnate or slightly depressed around the stem, dingy-reddish, becoming subferruginous. Stem equal, slender, even, colored like the tubes, yellow within, sometimes yellow at the base. Spores oblong-fusiform, ferruginous-brown, 12.5–15×4µ.
Pileus 1–2 in. broad. Stem 1–2 in. long, 1–3 lines thick.
Mixed woods or under or near coniferous trees in open places. New York, Peck. Peck, Boleti of the U.S.
B. pipera´tus Bull.—piper, pepper. Pileus convex or nearly plane, glabrous, slightly viscid when moist, yellowish, cinnamon or subferruginous. Flesh white or yellowish, taste acrid, peppery. Tubes rather long and large, angular, often unequal, plane or convex, adnate or subdecurrent, reddish-rust color. Stem slender, subequal, tawny-yellow, bright yellow at the base. Spores subfusiform, ferruginous-brown, 9–11×4µ.
Pileus 1–3 in. broad. Stem 1.5–3 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.
Woods and open places. Common and variable.
This species may easily be recognized by its peppery flavor. The pileus sometimes appears as if slightly tomentose, and both this and the preceding species recede from the character of the tribe by the slight viscidity of the pileus. This is sometimes cracked into areas and sometimes the margin is very obtuse by the elongation of the tubes. Peck, Boleti of the U.S.
Haddonfield, N.J., 1892. McIlvaine.
This fungus is reckoned poisonous by Stevenson. Massee gives its taste as very hot. The taste of the American plant is peppery but not offensively so. This pepperiness it loses in cooking. It has been eaten by the writer and his friends with enjoyment and without any discomfort.
