ng
more prominent than others as shown in Fig. 176. These branch and are
connected by cross partitions of less prominence. This character of the
hymenium led Berkeley to place the plant in the genus _Paxillus_, with
which it does not seem to be so closely related as with the genus
_Boletus_. The stratum of tubes, though very soft, is very tenacious,
and does not separate from the flesh of the pileus, thus resembling
certain species of _Polyporus_. Figure 176 is from plants collected at
Ithaca.

[Illustration: PLATE 63, FIGURE 176.--Boletinus porosus. Viscid when
moist, dull reddish brown (natural size). Copyright.]

=Strobilomyces strobilaceus= Berk. =Edible.=--This plant has a peculiar
name, both the genus and the species referring to the cone-like
appearance of the cap with its coarse, crowded, dark brown scales,
bearing a fancied resemblance to a pine cone. It is very easily
distinguished from other species of _Boletus_ because of this character
of the cap. The plant has a very wide distribution though it is not
usually very common. The plant is 8--14 cm. high, the cap 5--10 cm.
broad, and the stem 1--2 cm. in thickness.

The =pileus= is hemispherical to convex, shaggy from numerous large
blackish, coarse, hairy, projecting scales. The margin of the cap is
fringed with scales and fragments of the veil which covers the tubes in
the young plants. The flesh is whitish, but soon changes to reddish
color, and later to black where wounded or cut. The =tubes= are adnate,
whitish, becoming brown and blackish in the older plants. The mouths of
the tubes are large and angular, and change color where bruised, as does
the flesh of the cap. The stem is even, or sometimes tapers upward,
often grooved near the apex, very tomentose or scaly with soft scales of
the same color as the cap. The =spores= are in mass dark brown, nearly
globose, roughened, and 10--12 mu long. Figs. 177--179 are from plants
collected at Ithaca, N. Y. Another European plant, _S. floccopus_ Vahl,
is said by Peck to occur in the United States, but is much more rare.
The only difference in the two noted by Peck in the case of the American
plants is that the tubes are depressed around the stem in _S.
floccopus_.

[Illustration: PLATE 64, FIGURE 177.--Strobilomyces strobilaceus. Scales
of cap dark brown or black, flesh white but soon changing to reddish and
later to black where wounded, stem same color but lighter (natural
size). Copyright.]

[Illustratio