Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia, July, 1897, McIlvaine; Trenton, N.J., August, 1897, Sterling. In open mixed woods.
Boletus indecisus so closely resembles B. felleus in some of its forms that until the color of the spores is ascertained, the sweet taste, without trace of bitter, is the only thing that will enable the finder to discriminate between them. Young B. felleus are at first pleasant to the taste and do not, at once, develop their intense bitter in the mouth. They may readily be taken for B. indecisus. If, by mistake, a single B. felleus is cooked with mild species, the dish will be spoiled. Specimens believed to be B. indecisus should be tested. A minute will perfectly satisfy anyone.
The B. indecisus is delicious.
Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine. Plate CXXII.
| Fig. | Page. | Fig. | Page. |
| 1. Boletus indecisus, | [468] | 2–3–4. Boletus felleus, | [460] |
B. aluta´rius Fr.—aluta, tanned leather. Pileus convex, then nearly plane, soft, velvety, becoming glabrous, brownish tan color. Flesh almost unchangeable, taste mild, watery. Tubes depressed around the stem, plane, short, round, white, becoming brownish where wounded. Stem solid, bulbous, nearly even, small, irregular prominences at the top. Spores 14×4µ.
Pileus 3–4 in. broad. Stem 4–5 in. long.
Grassy woods. Minnesota, Johnson. Peck, Boleti of the U.S.
West Virginia mountains, 1882–1885. Margins of woods. Cheltenham, Pa. Margins of woods, 1888–1889, grassy woods and margins. McIlvaine.