Boletus pallidus (A) Boletus pallidus (B)
Boletus · 131 Boletus pallidus Frost Common name(s): Pallid Bolete Overview: This small- to medium-size, pale-colored bolete is typically found in groups under oak trees. The dull creamy-white to pale-yellow pores readily bruise bluish green on mature specimens. The term pallidus means “pallid,” a reference to this bolete’s overall pale colors. The whitish to buff or pale gray-brown cap, whitish to yellow or greenish-yellow pores that stain greenish blue to grayish blue, mild- to slightly bitter-tasting flesh, and whitish stalk separate it from other similarly colored boletes. The flesh stains pale rusty orange with KOH, blue green with NH4OH, and bluish green to grayish with FeSO4. Cap: 4.5–15 cm wide, convex with an incurved margin when young, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, sometimes slightly depressed, margin even; surface dry, smooth and glabrous or nearly so, often cracked at maturity, whitish to buff or pale brownish when young, becoming dingy brown with rose or salmon tints in age; flesh thick, whitish or pale yellow, unchanging or sometimes slowly staining bluish or pinkish when exposed; odor not distinctive; taste mild or slightly bitter. Pores and tubes: whitish to pale yellow when young, becoming yellow to greenish yellow in age, quickly bruising greenish blue and then grayish brown, immature specimens possibly not staining or staining grayish brown right away; pores minute; tubes 1–2 cm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or enlarged downward, solid; surface dry, smooth overall or slightly reticulate at the apex, whitish when young, often developing brownish streaks, especially toward the base, sometimes yellow at the apex, with occasional reddish flushes near the base in age, often with a white basal mycelium, sometimes slightly staining blue when bruised; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups on the ground or on decaying wood with broadleaf trees or in mixed woods; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: widely distributed throughout eastern North America; occasional to fairly common. Spore print: olive or olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 9–15 × 3–5 µm, narrowly oval to subfusoid, smooth, pale brown. Edibility: edible and good, though sometimes bitter. Lookalikes: Tylopilus intermedius (p. 382) is somewhat similar but has grayish-buff to dull-pinkish pores and intensely bitter-tasting flesh.
132 · Boletes of Eastern North America Boletus paluster Peck = Boletinellus paluster (Peck) Murrill = Boletinus paluster (Peck) Peck = Fuscoboletinus paluster (Peck) Pomerleau & A. H. Sm. = Suillus paluster (Peck) Kretzer & T. D. Bruns Common name(s): Larch Bolete, Red Bog Bolete Overview: The term paluster means “of the bog or marsh,” a reference to this colorful little bolete’s habitat. Although normally found growing among sphagnum mosses, it may also fruit on moss-covered, prostrate tree trunks. Cap: 2–7 cm wide, broadly convex to nearly plane or slightly depressed, with or without an umbo, margin incurved when young, sometimes with tiny universal veil remnants on immature specimens; surface dry, covered with tiny hairs or scales, pale pinkish purple to reddish purple; flesh yellowish white to yellow, reddish under the cuticle, thin, soft, unchanging when exposed; odor somewhat mealy or not distinctive; taste slightly acidic or not distinctive. Pores and tubes: pale yellow when young, becoming golden yellow and finally brownish yellow in age, unchanging when bruised; pores large, angular and radially arranged when young, becoming gill-like with crosswalls at maturity, strongly decurrent, covered by a fibrillose veil when young; tubes very shallow, 1.5–3 mm deep. Boletus paluster
Boletus · 133 Stalk: nearly equal, often cracked, solid; surface dry, sheathed from the base upward with a torn, fibrillose veil, reticulate to poroid and yellow at the apex, pale purple to reddish purple below, very rarely leaving a ring; flesh concolorous with the cap flesh. Habitat and season: scattered or in groups, usually among sphagnum mosses in bogs, fens, or other wet areas under larch trees; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: eastern Canada south to Pennsylvania, west to Minnesota; occasional to fairly common. Spore print: purple brown to pinkish brown. Microscopic features: spores 7–10 × 3–4 µm, ellipsoidal to subellipsoidal, smooth, pale brown. Edibility: apparently edible although seldom collected for the table. Lookalikes: Suillus cavipes (p. 326) is somewhat similar and can be found in the same habitat, but it has a yellow-brown to reddish-brown or darkbrown cap and a concolorous stalk that is hollow in the lower half at maturity. Boletus patrioticus T. J. Baroni, Bessette & Roody Common name(s): Patriotic Bolete Overview: The term patrioticus means “patriotic,” a reference to the red, white, and blue colors displayed by this bolete’s exposed flesh. The cap Boletus patrioticus
134 · Boletes of Eastern North America surface stains olive brown with KOH, olive amber with NH4OH, and olive gray with FeSO4. Cap: 3–13 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin incurved at first, becoming decurved, with a narrow band of sterile tissue; surface dry, somewhat velvety, olive when very young, soon pinkish to brick red or dark red, often brownish red toward the margin, usually with olive to tarnished-brass tints; flesh white to pale yellowish, pinkish red to purplish red under the cuticle or extending throughout the cap, slowly staining blue beneath the reddish area when exposed; odor not distinctive, taste tart to acidic. Pores and tubes: pale yellow at first, becoming olive yellow at maturity, depressed at the stalk in age, staining blue when bruised; tubes 3–15 mm deep. Stalk: usually enlarged downward, sometimes tapered downward or nearly equal, base often pinched, solid; surface dry, pruinose to scurfy, color variable, usually rosy red on the upper portion or nearly overall and olive toward the base, often a mixture of these colors over a yellow ground color, with a whitish to pale-yellow basal mycelium; flesh whitish to pale yellow, becoming dingy yellow to brownish toward the base, staining bluish to greenish and sometimes rosy red when exposed. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups, often in grassy areas under oak or in mixed woods with oak present; spring, summer, and fall. Distribution and frequency: North Carolina south to Florida, west to Ohio and Texas; occasional to locally fairly common. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 10–13 × 4–5.5 µm, subfusiform, smooth, deep golden brown. Edibility: edible. Lookalikes: Boletus miniato-olivaceus (p. 117) has a similarly colored cap that often stains dark blue when bruised, cap flesh that does not taste tart or acidic, a stalk that often stains dark blue when bruised, and a wider distribution that extends into Canada. Its spores measure 10–15(18) × 4–6(7) µm.
Boletus · 135 Boletus pseudo-olivaceus A. H. Sm. & Thiers Common name(s): none Overview: The term pseudo-olivaceus means “falsely olive-colored,” a reference to the cap’s pale brownish-olive to yellowish-olive colors. The key identification features include the pale brownish-olive to yellowish-olive cap that bruises blue and then fuscous, rapidly bluing flesh, dark maroon-red to reddish-brown pores, and yellow pruinose stalk. Cap: 3–10 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex in age, margin incurved at first, even; surface dry, covered with tiny, matted fibers when young, becoming scurfy at maturity, pale brownish olive to yellowish olive, staining blue and then fuscous when handled or bruised; flesh ochraceous, rapidly staining blue and then slowly olive fuscous when exposed; odor of young specimens not distinctive, usually becoming faintly chlorine-like with maturity; taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: dark maroon red at first, becoming reddish brown, staining blue when bruised, depressed at the stalk in age; tubes 6–10 mm deep. Stalk: enlarged downward to nearly equal, solid; surface dry, yellow with olivaceous tones at the base, pruinose with reddish pruina that often form a pattern that simulates reticulation on the upper portion, lacking dark-reddish hairs at the base; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Boletus pseudo-olivaceus
136 · Boletes of Eastern North America Habitat and season: solitary or scattered under broadleaf trees, especially beech or oak; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: New England south to North Carolina, west into the Great Lakes region, distribution limits yet to be established; occasional. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 12–16 × 5–7 µm, subfusoid, with a minute apical pore, smooth, yellow. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Boletus vermiculosoides (p. 169) has dark-brown pores when young that become paler in age and stain blackish blue when bruised, yellow flesh that tastes astringent, brownish pruina that do not form a reticulate pattern on the stalk, and smaller spores, 9–12 × 3–4 µm. Boletus vermiculosus Peck (see photo, p. 169) has a darker-brown cap when young that becomes dull cinnamon brown in age and dark-brown pores that become reddish brown or brownish orange in age. Its whitish to pale-yellow flesh lacks a distinctive odor or taste, and the brownish pruina on its stalk do not form a reticulate pattern. Boletus pseudopinophilus (A)
Boletus · 137 Boletus pseudopinophilus Siegel, Frank, Bessette, A. R. Bessette & Craine, nom. prov. Common name(s): Pine-loving King Bolete Overview: The term pseudopinophilus means “false pinophilus,” a reference to Boletus pinophilus Pilát & Dermek, which is a European species. Boletus edulis f. pinicola (Vittad.) Vassilkov and Boletus pinicola (Vittad.) A. Venturi are misapplied names. The conspicuous brownish reticulum that darkens when handled is a distinctive feature of Boletus pseudopinophilus. Molecular analysis clearly demonstrates that Boletus pinophilus and Boletus pseudopinophilus are distinct species that nest in separate clades. Cap: 5–15 cm wide, rounded to convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin incurved at first, with a narrow band of sterile tissue or nearly even; surface dry, typically wrinkled or shallowly pitted, reddish brown to dark rusty brown; flesh whitish, pinkish brown under the cuticle, not staining when exposed; odor spicy or not distinctive; taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: whitish at first, becoming yellow to olive yellow or brownish yellow, bruising rusty brown, depressed at the stalk in age; tubes 8–25 mm deep. Stalk: enlarged downward, sometimes bulbous, solid; surface dry, white to pale yellow near the apex, pale brown to brown below, darkening when Boletus pseudopinophilus (B)
138 · Boletes of Eastern North America handled or bruised, reticulate overall or at least on the upper two-thirds, reticulum whitish near the apex, becoming brownish below, darkening when handled; flesh concolorous with the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups under conifers, especially pine, sometimes buried in duff; spring, summer, and fall. Distribution and frequency: widely distributed throughout eastern North America; fairly common. Spore print: dark olive to olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 15–20 × 4–6 µm, fusoid to cylindrical, smooth, yellowish. Edibility: edible and choice. Lookalikes: Boletus edulis (p. 101) has a whitish to pale-brown stalk and a whitish reticulum. Boletus subcaerulescens (p. 157) has more vinaceous tones on the cap and stalk, flesh that typically has a lemony odor, pores that stain bluish gray when bruised, and a cap surface that stains bluish green, then bright orange surrounded by dull grayish green, and then entirely yellow orange with NH4OH. Boletus purpureorubellus (A)
Boletus · 139 Boletus purpureorubellus T. J. Baroni, Yetter & Norar. Common name(s): none. Overview: The viscid and shiny purplish-red cap, yellow flesh, pores that stain bluish when bruised, reddish stalk, very small spores (atypical for boletes), and peculiar habitat are the distinctive features of this most unusual bolete. The cap surface stains yellow with KOH. The term purpureorubellus means “purplish red.” Cap: 7.5–12.5 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin undulating, with a narrow band of sterile tissue; surface viscid when wet, shiny when dry, glabrous or nearly so, color variable, dark red, purplish to blood red, or reddish orange, yellow on the margin; flesh yellow with a reddish line under the cuticle, becoming pale reddish vinaceous above the tube layer; yellow areas stain blue and then slowly whitish when exposed; odor not distinctive; taste slightly acidic or not distinctive. Pores and tubes: bright yellow to golden yellow, staining dark bluish gray to blackish blue and eventually brown when bruised, slightly depressed with a decurrent tooth; pores conspicuously gill-like near the stalk; tubes 8–10 mm deep, staining fuscous blue when cut. Stalk: nearly equal or tapered downward, solid; surface dry, with decurrent lines that form a pseudoreticulum at the apex, delicately pruinose in the red Boletus purpureorubellus (B)
140 · Boletes of Eastern North America areas, glabrous elsewhere, apex yellow to pale cream, streaked downward with pale red to red, becoming dull red to brown or golden yellow at the base, with a bright-yellow basal mycelium; flesh yellow at the apex, reddish vinaceous and yellow below, yellow areas staining dark blue when exposed. Habitat and season: scattered or in groups in swamps, growing in mats of moss with tree roots under loblolly bay, leatherwood, red maple, and cabbage palm, also found on trunks of Atlantic white cedar; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: recorded from Florida and Georgia, also Cape Cod, Massachusetts, distribution limits yet to be established; rare. Spore print: olive to brownish olivaceous. Microscopic features: spores 5–7.3 × 3–4 µm, short-ellipsoid, smooth, dull yellow. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Hortiboletus rubellus (p. 225) has a dry, somewhat velvety cap and much larger spores. Boletus roodyi (A)
Boletus · 141 Boletus roodyi B. Ortiz, D. P. Lewis & Both Common name(s): Roody’s Bolete Overview: This red-capped bolete with a bright-yellow stalk and pores is distinct from similarly colored boletes by features that it lacks. There is no staining on any part when cut or bruised and no reticulation on the stalk. Boletus roodyi was named in honor of American mycologist William C. Roody. It is characterized by its blood-red to pinkish- or purplish-red cap, yellow pores, smooth stalk stained with red, and lack of any blue staining reaction. The addition of KOH or NH4OH to the cap surface develops a slate-blue flash that quickly changes to yellow ocher. KOH stains the flesh pale bluish. Cap: 5–16 cm wide, convex, becoming nearly plane or slightly depressed in the center when mature, margin incurved at first, becoming decurved, with a narrow projecting band of sterile tissue; surface dry, smooth and glabrous to faintly velvety, sometimes cracked in age, with a faint whitish pruina when immature, uniformly pinkish purplish red to blood red or dark red; flesh very pale yellow to nearly white, with a very narrow red line under the cap surface, unchanging when exposed or sometimes developing reddish stains; odor not distinctive when fresh, strongly vanilla scented when dried; taste slightly astringent or not distinctive. Boletus roodyi (B)
142 · Boletes of Eastern North America Pores and tubes: attached to narrowly depressed, bright yellow to pale golden yellow, becoming greenish yellow to greenish olivaceous in age, not staining when bruised; tubes 5–10 mm deep. Stalk: equal down to a narrowed base; surface dry, glabrous to finely pruinose, pale golden yellow near the apex, paler yellow downward, irregularly streaked, mottled, or flecked with red that is concolorous with the cap mainly on the lower half or sometimes only at the base, lacking reticulation or only slightly reticulate at the apex, basal mycelium white; flesh whitish to very pale yellow, golden yellow in larval tunnels, sometimes red in the base, unchanging when exposed. Habitat and season: solitary to scattered, in groups, or rarely caespitose, on the ground with various species of oak in mixed oak and pine woods or in broadleaf forests of oak, hickory, and beech; summer and early fall. Distribution and frequency: New England south to Arkansas and eastern Texas; occasional to locally fairly common. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 9.5–16.2 × 3.6–4.5 µm, fusoid, smooth, with grayish-yellow or greenish-yellow contents in KOH; dextrinoid or with pale grayish-blue contents in Melzer’s. Edibility: edible. Lookalikes: Boletus rubissimus A. H. Sm. (not illustrated), reported from Michigan and New York, shares the same overall colors. However, its cap has a sulfur-yellow to ochraceous-yellow margin, and its pores stain grayish blue when bruised. It has white flesh that is unchanging or sometimes weakly and erratically staining blue when exposed. Its stalk has fine reticulation on the upper portion and yellow basal mycelium. Microscopically, it has smaller spores that measure 9–11 × 3–4.5 µm. The Baorangia bicolor complex (p. 74) is also similar, but its flesh slowly stains blue when exposed.
Boletus · 143 Boletus roseolateritius Bessette, Both & Dunaway Common name(s): Rosy Brick-red Bolete Overview: The term roseolateritius means “rosy brick red,” a reference to the color of this bolete’s mature cap. The cap surface stains black with FeSO4 and is negative with KOH or NH4OH. Cap: 4–15.5 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin incurved at first and remaining so well into maturity, with a narrow band of sterile tissue; surface dry, somewhat velvety with a grayish bloom when young, nearly glabrous at maturity, dark reddish salmon or burnt orange at first, becoming rosy brick red to reddish brown at maturity, fading to brownish orange with yellow tints and finally to dull dingy yellow in age, whitish along the margin, instantly staining dark blue when bruised; flesh pale lemon yellow, instantly staining blue when exposed and then fading to pale lemon yellow; odor and taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: orange red at first, becoming dull orange and finally orange yellow in age, instantly staining blue when bruised; tubes 5–12 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or tapered in either direction, often with a pinched base, solid; surface dry, faintly longitudinally striate, lacking reticulation, pale lemon yellow, instantly staining blue when bruised, slowly developing Boletus roseolateritius
144 · Boletes of Eastern North America rusty-brown stains in age or when bruised; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups in river bottomland under beech, with oak and hickory nearby; summer. Distribution and frequency: currently reported only from McComb, Mississippi, distribution range yet to be established; occasional. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 8.5–11 × 3.5–4.5(5.5) µm, narrowly ellipsoid to subfusoid, smooth, pale ochraceous. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Boletus fairchildianus (p. 104) is similar, but its pore surface is darker red; its cap stains olive with NH4OH and deep maroon or orange yellow to brown with KOH; and it has much larger spores, 13–19 × 5–8 µm. Boletus rubricitrinus (A)
Boletus · 145 Boletus rubricitrinus (Murrill) Murrill = Ceriomyces rubricitrinus Murrill Common name(s): none. Overview: The term rubricitrinus means “red and lemon yellow,” a reference to the colors exhibited by this attractive bolete. The key identification features include the variable, dull rose-red to tawny-cinnamon cap that usually stains bluish black, yellow flesh that quickly stains blue, yellow pores that stain blue, and yellow stalk that quickly stains blue green to bluish black. Cap: 3–15 cm wide, rounded to convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, sometimes slightly depressed, margin incurved at first with a band of sterile tissue; surface dry, acidic or tart tasting, flesh glabrous to slightly velvety, color variable, dull rose red to dull brick red or reddish brown to tawny cinnamon when fresh, fading to tawny olive or dull brown in age, sometimes with yellow tints, usually bruising bluish black; flesh pale yellow to yellow, quickly staining blue when exposed; odor not distinctive; taste of flesh slightly tart to acidic. Pores and tubes: yellow at first, becoming dull yellow to olive yellow, depressed at the stalk in age, staining blue when bruised; tubes 8–20 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or tapered in either direction, sometimes swollen near the base, solid; surface dry, yellow, typically with dull reddish to reddish-brown streaks and dots, especially toward the base, quickly staining blue green to bluish black when bruised, sometimes weakly reticulate only at the very Boletus rubricitrinus (B)
146 · Boletes of Eastern North America apex, typically longitudinally striate nearly overall; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups in oak or mixed oak and pine woods; spring, summer, and fall, also early winter on the Gulf Coast. Distribution and frequency: New Jersey south to Florida, west to Texas; fairly common. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 13–19 × 5–8 µm, fusoid to subfusoid-ellipsoid, smooth, yellowish. Edibility: edible, tart to acidic but good. Lookalikes: Boletus fairchildianus (p. 104), an uncommon species reported from Florida west to Texas, is similar but has dark-red pores and more red on the stalk. Boletus rufocinnamomeus A. H. Sm. & Thiers Common name(s): none. Overview: The term rufocinnamomeus means “reddish cinnamon,” a reference to mature specimens’ cap color. The key identification features include the velvety, reddish-brown cap, yellow flesh that instantly stains blue, maroonred to orange-red pores, and orange stalk coated with orange-cinnamon pruina. Boletus rufocinnamomeus
Boletus · 147 Cap: 4–12 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin incurved at first, even or nearly so; surface dry, somewhat velvety, dull brick red with an ochraceous overtone from an evanescent bloom when young, becoming reddish brown to dull cinnamon brown in age; flesh yellow, instantly staining blue when exposed; odor not distinctive; taste acidic or not distinctive. Pores and tubes: maroon red when young, becoming orange red at maturity, quickly staining blue when bruised, depressed at the stalk in age; tubes 8–15 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal, solid; surface dry, yellow and glabrous on the upper portion, coated with orange-cinnamon pruina toward the base, with yellow basal mycelium; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary or scattered in broadleaf forests, especially with hazelnut, oak, and beech; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: New England south to North Carolina, west to the Great Lakes region, distribution limits yet to be established; uncommon. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 14–17 × 4.5–6.5 µm, subfusoid with a minute apical pore, smooth, dull yellowish. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Boletus subluridellus (p. 163) is similar, but all parts instantly stain blackish blue when bruised. It has a pale-yellow stalk that darkens from the base upward in age or where handled and is nearly smooth to slightly pruinose-scurfy. It also has slightly smaller spores, 11–15 × 4–6 µm. Boletus rufomaculatus (A)
148 · Boletes of Eastern North America Boletus rufomaculatus Both Common name(s): none. Overview: The term rufomaculatus means “spotted reddish,” a reference to the reddish spots and splashes on this bolete’s mottled cap. The cap and flesh stain yellow with NH4OH and dark amber with KOH. Boletus rufomaculatus is very closely related to the Baorangia bicolor (p. 74) complex and nests in the same clade (Wu et al. 2014). It is possible that it will be renamed Baorangia rufomaculatus at some future time. Cap: 6.5–14 cm wide, rounded at first, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin incurved at first, with a narrow band of sterile tissue; surface dry to subviscid when wet, granulose to tomentose at first, becoming matted to fibrillose with age, color variable, red to dull red, dull rusty brown to ocher brown or honey yellow, becoming cracked, mottled with brick red or brownish red in age; flesh pale yellow, slowly staining blue when exposed, especially above the tubes, at times staining blue only weakly and erratically; odor and taste unpleasant or not distinctive. Pores and tubes: pale yellow at first, becoming brighter lemon yellow and then deeper yellow and finally yellowish olive, shallowly depressed at the stalk at maturity, sometimes with rusty spots or reddish tints in age, staining blue when bruised; tubes 6–14 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or somewhat swollen in the middle and tapered in both directions, solid; surface dry, nearly glabrous, somewhat ribbed to Boletus rufomaculatus (B)
Boletus · 149 pseudoreticulate, golden yellow near the apex, pale yellow below, strongly dotted or mottled with burgundy red on the lower half and sometimes nearly overall, staining blue when bruised or handled, with a white basal mycelium; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups under beech in mixed woods; early summer through fall. Distribution and frequency: New England and New York south to Georgia, west to Mississippi; occasional. Spore print: dark olive. Microscopic features: spores 10–13 × 3–4.5 µm, subfusiform, smooth, yellowish in Melzer’s. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: The Baorangia bicolor complex (p. 74) has a glabrous, red cap with an even margin at all stages of development, a glabrous stalk that typically is red on the lower two-thirds or more, and darker golden-yellow stalk flesh, and it grows under oaks. The caps of the Baorangia bicolor complex typically stain blackish with FeSO4 and are negative with NH4OH or KOH. Their flesh usually stains pale yellow to pale orange with KOH and is negative with NH4OH. Boletus sensibilis (A)
150 · Boletes of Eastern North America Boletus sensibilis Peck = Boletus miniato-olivaceus var. sensibilis (Peck) Peck = Boletus sensibilis var. subviscidus A. H. Sm. & Thiers Common name(s): Sensitive Bolete Overview: The term sensibilis means “sensitive,” a reference to this bolete’s easily bruised tissue. All parts instantly stain blue when handled or bruised. The cap surface stains yellow with KOH or NH4OH and greenish gray with FeSO4. Cap: 5–16 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin even; surface dry, somewhat velvety when young, becoming nearly glabrous in age, orangish red or dark to pale brick red, fading to dull rose or sometimes dingy cinnamon in age, staining blue when bruised; flesh pale yellow, staining blue when exposed; odor variously described as faintly fruity or like maple syrup, fenugreek, curry, or licorice; taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: yellow when young, becoming duller or browner in age, instantly staining blue when bruised; tubes 8–12 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or enlarged downward, solid; surface dry, mostly yellow with pink or red on the lower portion, sometimes with white basal mycelium, occasionally finely reticulate at the apex, quickly staining blue when handled; flesh bright yellow, more intensely yellow than the cap flesh, usually staining blue quickly when exposed. Boletus sensibilis (B)
Boletus · 151 Habitat and season: scattered or in groups in woods, usually under broadleaf trees, especially oak; late spring, summer, and fall. Distribution and frequency: eastern Canada south to South Carolina, west to Minnesota; fairly common. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 10–13 × 3.5–4.5 µm, suboblong to slightly ventricose, smooth, pale brown; hymenial cystidia fusoid-ventricose with an elongated neck. Edibility: this bolete has long been considered to be a poisonous species. However, we have received several recent reports from individuals who have eaten it without ill effects. Lookalikes: Lanmaoa pseudosensibilis (p. 233) has a darker reddish-brown cap and bright yellow flesh that stains blue when exposed. A drop of NH4OH stains the cap surface greenish blue. The cap of Boletus miniato-olivaceus (p. 117) develops olive tones in age; its flesh lacks a distinctive odor; and it has larger spores, 10–15(18) × 4–6(7) µm. Boletus pallidoroseus (p. 129) has a pink to reddish-pink stalk with yellow near the apex, yellowish to yellowish-white flesh that slowly and erratically stains blue when exposed, and an odor reminiscent of beef or chicken bouillon. Boletus miniatopallescens (p. 119) has a brick-red cap that fades to reddish orange or orange yellow in age, a more reddish stalk, and pale-yellow flesh that lacks a distinctive odor. The Baorangia bicolor complex (p. 74) has red over most of the stalk, flesh that is unchanging or only weakly and erratically staining blue, and shorter tubes. Boletus separans (A)
Boletus separans (B) Boletus separans (C)
Boletus · 153 Boletus separans Peck = Boletus pseudoseparans Grand & A. H. Sm. = Xanthoconium separans (Peck) Halling & Both Common name(s): Lilac Bolete Overview: This medium to large bolete is a beautiful mushroom that is much sought after as an edible. Its superb flavor is often compared with its better-known cousin, the King Bolete or Cep, Boletus edulis (p. 101). The color of the cap and stalk is variable, but lilac tones are usually present in both young and mature specimens. Lilac areas of the cap or stalk surface stain aquamarine to deep blue with NH4OH. The term separans refers to how the tube layer sometimes pulls away from the stalk as the cap expands. A new genus, Alloboletus, has been proposed for this species. Cap: 5–15 cm wide, convex to broadly convex, margin even; surface dry, somewhat velvety or glabrous, often pitted, wrinkled, or lumpy and uneven; color varying from creamy white tinged with lilac to pinkish brown, lilac brown, reddish brown, or sometimes dark purple, often paler near the margin and becoming yellowish brown to almost bronze colored in age; flesh white, unchanging when exposed; odor not distinctive; taste sweet and nutty or not distinctive. Pores and tubes: white at first, becoming yellowish to ocher brown at maturity, unchanging when bruised; tubes 1–3 cm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or enlarged downward, solid; surface dry, concolorous with the cap or paler, often with lilac tones in the midportion, sometimes purplish overall, occasionally with yellow coloration near the apex, with fine white reticulation over most of its length or at least over the upper half; reticulation occasionally very delicate and obscure to nonexistent; flesh concolorous with the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in clusters in mixed woods, oak woods, or occasionally with Norway spruce or pine; late spring, summer, and fall, also winter in the southern part of its range. Distribution and frequency: widely distributed throughout eastern North America; common. Spore print: brownish ocher to pale reddish brown. Microscopic features: spores 12–16 × 3.5–5 µm, narrowly subfusiform, smooth, pale brown. Edibility: edible and choice. Lookalikes: Compare with Xanthoconium purpureum (p. 412), which has a darker cap and stalk without lilac tones. Its pores stain yellow brown to brown when bruised.
Boletus speciosus (A) Boletus speciosus (B)
Boletus · 155 Boletus speciosus Frost = Ceriomyces speciosus Murrill Common name(s): Showy Bolete Overview: The term speciosus means “showy.” The flesh stains orange with KOH and grayish with FeSO4. According to Ernst Both (1993), Walter Snell and Esther Dick’s illustration at the bottom of plate 39 of The Boleti of Northeastern North America (1970) is most likely Boletus rubissimus A. H. Sm. (not illustrated), not Boletus speciosus as labeled. The wide range of cap colors, including raspberry red (rosolane purple), that Snell and Dick give in their description of Boletus speciosus may represent two or more species, including Butyriboletus roseopurpureus (p. 184). Cap: 7–16 cm wide, rounded to convex, becoming broadly convex in age, margin even, incurved at first and remaining so well into maturity; surface dry, coated with tiny hairs or nearly glabrous, bright rose red to rose pink, often retaining this color well into maturity, becoming orange red and then pinkish brown to olive brown in age, sometimes with fine cracks over the disc on mature specimens, bruising slowly blackish blue; flesh pale yellow, soon staining grayish blue when exposed; odor sometimes like iodine or not distinctive; taste not distinctive. Boletus speciosus (C)
156 · Boletes of Eastern North America Pores and tubes: yellow at first, becoming dull yellow to olive yellow in age, rapidly staining blue when bruised and then eventually reddish brown; tubes 8–15 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or enlarged downward, base often abruptly narrowed, solid; surface dry, finely reticulate overall or at least on the upper half, yellow on the upper portion, pinkish red to red or pale pinkish brown on the lower portion, staining blue when bruised or handled; flesh pale or medium yellow, staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary or scattered in broadleaf forests, conifer woods, or mixed woods; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: eastern Canada south to North Carolina, west to Minnesota; uncommon. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 11–15 × 3–5.5 µm, narrowly oblong to subfusoid, smooth, ochraceous. Edibility: edible but too uncommon to collect for the table. Lookalikes: Butyriboletus brunneus (p. 181) has a reddish-brown to yellowbrown or olive-brown cap. The cap of Butyriboletus roseopurpureus (p. 184) is strikingly pinkish purple in fresh specimens and becomes darker purplish pink to dark purplish red as they age or at times is mottled in these colors. Boletus rubissimus A. H. Sm. (not illustrated), known from Michigan and New York, is also very similar, but it has a dark-pink cap, pale-yellow flesh that does not blue or only weakly blues when exposed, yellow pores that stain grayish blue, a yellow stalk flushed red over the lower portion and finely reticulate near the apex, and shorter spores, 9–11 µm long. Boletus subcaerulescens (A)
Boletus · 157 Boletus subcaerulescens (E. A. Dick & Snell) Both, Bessette & A. R. Bessette = Boletus edulis ssp. subcaerulescens E. A. Dick & Snell Common name(s): none. Overview: The term subcaerulescens means “somewhat bluing,” a reference to the pale bluish-gray color that develops on this bolete’s pores when they are bruised. The cap surface stains amber orange with KOH, stains bluish green and then bright orange surrounded by dull grayish green and finally entirely yellow orange with NH4OH, and is negative with FeSO4. Cap: 4–18 cm wide, rounded at first, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin incurved at first, becoming decurved, with a narrow band of sterile tissue; surface dry, covered with tiny fibrils or nearly glabrous, often wrinkled to shallowly pitted, rusty cocoa brown to pinkish brown with a more cinnamon center when young, becoming reddish brown to chestnut brown or rusty cinnamon at maturity, mottled dingy yellowish at times, fading to more yellow tones and always flushed or mottled pale cinnamon in age; flesh white, dull vinaceous above the tubes, becoming vinaceous near the cuticle, unchanging or sometimes slowly and weakly staining blue when exposed; odor reminiscent of lemon or not distinctive; taste nutty, sweet. Pores and tubes: whitish cream at first, becoming pale yellow and then yellowish olive to ocher olive in age, narrowly depressed at the stalk at maturity, staining bluish gray and then ochraceous to brownish when bruised; tubes up to 1.5 cm deep. Boletus subcaerulescens (B)
158 · Boletes of Eastern North America Stalk: nearly equal to enlarged downward, at times somewhat bulbous, base sometimes with a pointed root-like extension, solid; surface dry, conspicuously reticulate nearly overall or at least over the upper two-thirds, whitish near the apex and rusty cinnamon to brownish vinaceous over the lower one-third, typically white at the base, with a white basal mycelium; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups under pines or Norway spruce; spring, summer, and fall. Distribution and frequency: eastern Canada and New England south to West Virginia and west to Minnesota; occasional. Spore print: deep, smoky olive. Microscopic features: spores 13–19 × 4–5 µm, subfusoid to cylindrical, smooth, pale ochraceous. Edibility: edible and choice, one of the best edible boletes. Lookalikes: Boletus subcaerulescens is sometimes mistaken for Boletus edulis (p. 101) because they are quite similar in appearance and can sometimes be found in the same habitat. However, the pores of Boletus edulis do not bruise bluish, and its cap surface lacks the initial bluish-green staining phase with NH4OH and slowly stains pale grayish green with FeSO4. Boletus pseudopinophilus (p. 137) is also similar, but it has a reddish-brown to dark rusty-brown cap and pores that do not stain blue when bruised. Boletus subfraternus (A)
Boletus · 159 Boletus subfraternus Coker & Beers = Boletellus subfraternus (Coker & Beers) Singer Common name(s): none. Overview: The term subfraternus means “near Boletus fraternus,” which is currently a synonym of Hortiboletus rubellus (p. 225). The key identification features include the red cap that does not become cracked, pale-yellow flesh that stains blue, yellow pores that stain greenish blue, and a pale-red, pruinose stalk. Cap: 2–5 cm wide, broadly convex, becoming nearly plane in age, margin incurved at first, even; surface dry, somewhat velvety, not becoming cracked or only very slightly so in age, dull rose red to bright orange red at first, becoming brick red to brownish red and finally orange buff with reddish tinges in age; flesh pale yellow, staining blue when exposed; odor and taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: yellow to olive yellow at first, becoming red brown in age, staining greenish blue when bruised, depressed at the stalk at maturity; pores irregular to angular, becoming elongated and radially arranged to somewhat gill-like near the stalk at maturity; tubes up to 1 cm deep. Boletus subfraternus (B)
160 · Boletes of Eastern North America Stalk: nearly equal, usually with an abruptly narrowed base, solid; surface dry, concolorous with the cap but paler, ochraceous at the apex, longitudinally streaked and finely pruinose; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: scattered or in groups in sandy soil along road banks, in mixed woods, or along the edges of mixed woods; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: Maine south to North Carolina, west to Michigan, distribution limits yet to be established; infrequent. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 9–14 × 4–6 µm, subfusiform, smooth, ochraceous. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Hortiboletus campestris (p. 223) is very similar, but its cap becomes conspicuously cracked at maturity, and it has circular to angular pores that are not elongated and not radially arranged to somewhat gill-like near the stalk. Hortiboletus rubellus (p. 225) has a cap that becomes finely cracked at maturity, stalk flesh that is yellow on the upper portion and reddish orange in the base, and angular pores that are not elongated and not radially arranged to somewhat gill-like near the stalk. Boletus subgraveolens
Boletus · 161 Boletus subgraveolens A. H. Sm. & Thiers Common name(s): none. Overview: The term subgraveolens means “somewhat strong and disagreeable,” a reference to the odor emitted by dried specimens of this bolete. The cap surface displays a blue flash and then slowly stains vinaceous with NH4OH. Cap: 4–15 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin even, incurved at first; surface slightly viscid or dry, glabrous or nearly so, becoming conspicuously cracked in hot, dry weather, dull yellow brown overall or mottled with darker or paler shades of yellow or brown, usually staining dark blue and then darker brown when fresh; flesh yellowish white to pale yellow, staining blue when exposed; odor pungent; taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: brownish yellow when very young, soon becoming bright yellow brown and then paler in age, depressed near the stalk, bruising dark blue and then slowly brown; tubes pale yellow, staining bluish green when cut, 6–13 mm deep. Stalk: tapered downward and typically pinched or conspicuously pointed at the base, solid; surface dry, bright yellow at the apex, dull pale yellow and pruinose below, with a dark vinaceous-red to maroon base, developing yellowish-brown tints from the base upward in age or when handled, sometimes bruising bluish; flesh pale yellow to orange yellow with pinkish tints on the upper portion, dark vinaceous red to maroon or reddish cinnamon near the base, staining blue when exposed. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups under broadleaf trees, especially aspen and oak; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: reported from Michigan and Mississippi, distribution limits yet to be established; occasional. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 9–13 × 3.5–4.5 µm, subfusiform, smooth, yellowish brown. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Both Boletus vermiculosoides (p. 169) and Boletus vermiculosus Peck (see photo, p. 169) are similar but lack the reddish coloration at the stalk base. Boletus fagicola A. H. Sm. & Thiers (not illustrated) is also similar but has reticulation on its stalk.
Boletus subluridellus (A) Boletus subluridellus (B)
Boletus · 163 Boletus subluridellus A. H. Sm. & Thiers Common name(s): none. Overview: All parts of this bolete instantly stain blue when bruised. The key identification features include a bright-red to orange-red or brick-red cap, a yellow stalk that darkens when handled or in age, and pinkish-red to rose-red or dark-red pores that fade to orange red or brownish in age. This bolete’s flesh has a peculiar and somewhat pungent but distinctive odor. The term subluridellus means “nearly drab yellow to dirty brown.” Cap: 5–12 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex in age, margin with a narrow band of sterile tissue, incurved at first; surface dry, somewhat velvety, purplish red, brownish red, pinkish red, or orange red, instantly staining blackish blue when bruised; flesh bright yellow, quickly staining dark blue when exposed; odor pungent; taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: rosy red to pinkish red or dark red, becoming orange red in age, quickly staining blue when bruised, depressed at the stalk in age; tubes 6–10 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal, solid; surface dry, pale yellow, darkening from the base upward in age or where handled, faintly pruinose-scurfy overall; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: scattered or in groups under broadleaf trees, especially oak, or in mixed woods usually with oak present; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: New England and New York south to Georgia, west to Minnesota; occasional to locally fairly common. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 11–15 × 4–6 µm, subfusoid with a minute apical pore, smooth, dull yellowish. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Boletus rufocinnamomeus (p. 146) has a dull brick-red cap with an ochraceous overtone from an evanescent bloom when young. The cap becomes dull cinnamon brown in age and does not stain blackish blue when bruised. The stalk is yellow and glabrous on the upper portion and is coated with orange-cinnamon to brown pruina toward the base, and it has slightly larger spores, 14–17 × 4.5–6.5 µm. Suillellus subvelutipes (p. 315) has a more orange to brownish cap and often bristle-like red hairs on its stalk base. Suillellus subluridus (p. 314) has a variably colored cap ranging from yellow to orange with purple stains or is entirely purplish red. Its yellow flesh stains blue when exposed, and the purple-red to dark-red pores also bruise blue.
Boletus subtomentosus var. subtomentosus Boletus subtomentosus var. perplexus
Boletus · 165 Boletus subtomentosus var. subtomentosus L. = Ceriomyces subtomentosus (L.) Murrill = Xerocomus subtomentosus (L.) Quél. Common name(s): Brown and Yellow Bolete, Suede Bolete, Yellow-cracked Bolete Overview: The term subtomentosus means “somewhat coated with fine hairs,” a reference to the surface of this bolete’s cap. The cap surface instantly stains reddish brown with NH4OH. Cap: 5–18 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex in age, margin somewhat incurved at first, with a narrow band of sterile tissue that is obvious at least on young specimens; surface dry, covered with fine hairs, often cracked in age, olive brown to yellow brown; flesh whitish, unchanging or slightly staining blue when exposed; odor and taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: yellow at first, becoming dull yellow in age, staining slightly and slowly greenish and then brownish when bruised; tubes 1–2.5 cm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or tapered slightly downward, solid; surface dry, scurfy, sometimes with raised longitudinal lines that may form a net-like pattern near the apex, predominantly yellow with reddish-brown streaks and yellowish mycelium at the base, staining brownish to reddish brown when handled or in age; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary or scattered under broadleaf or conifer trees; summer and fall, also early winter in the southern part of its range. Distribution and frequency: eastern Canada south to North Carolina, west to Minnesota; fairly common. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 10–15 × 3–5 µm, subfusoid to oblong, smooth, yellow. Edibility: edible. Lookalikes: Boletus subtomentosus var. perplexus A. H. Sm. & Thiers (see photo, p. 164) is very similar but has a darker olive-brown cap and a pruinose, reddish-brown to cinnamon stalk, and its pores more readily stain greenish blue when bruised. Boletus ferrugineus (p. 105) is similar, but its pores more readily stain blue when bruised, and its cap surface displays a blue or blue-green flash and then stains reddish brown with NH4OH. Boletus alutaceus (p. 87) has been reported from New England south to Kentucky, west to Ohio and Wisconsin, and it grows in broadleaf and mixed woods, especially oak and beech. It has a yellowish-brown cap that becomes pale tan with a pinkish tint, pale greenish-yellow pores that do not stain when bruised, and whitish to pale-tan flesh that does not stain when exposed. Its spores measure 9–12 × 4–5 µm. Xerocomellus chrysenteron (p. 416) has a dark-olive to olive-brown or grayish-brown cap that often has a reddish zone at the margin and soon becomes cracked, with red showing in the cracks.
Boletus variipes (A) Boletus variipes (B)
Boletus · 167 Boletus variipes Peck = Boletus variipes var. variipes Peck = Boletus variipes var. fagicola A. H. Sm. & Thiers Common name(s): Variable-stalk Bolete Overview: The term variipes means “variable foot,” referring to the color, pattern, and amount of reticulation on this bolete’s stalk. Cap: 6–20 cm wide, convex when young, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age, margin even; surface dry, somewhat velvety to nearly glabrous, color variable, creamy tan to yellowish tan, grayish brown to yellow brown or dark brown, often cracked at maturity; flesh white, unchanging or slowly staining pale pinkish gray when exposed; odor and taste not distinctive. Pores and tubes: white at first, becoming yellowish to yellowish olive in age, unchanging when bruised; tubes 1–3 cm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or enlarged downward, solid; surface dry, whitish to yellow brown or grayish brown, usually distinctly reticulate or sometimes less conspicuously so, reticulation white or brown; flesh concolorous with the cap flesh. Boletus variipes (C)
168 · Boletes of Eastern North America Habitat and season: scattered or in groups under mixed broadleaf trees, especially oak, beech, or aspen, and sometimes with conifers, especially Norway spruce; spring, summer, and fall. Distribution and frequency: widely distributed throughout eastern North America; occasional to fairly common. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 12–18 × 4–6 µm, subfusoid, smooth, yellow. Edibility: edible and very good. Lookalikes: Tylopilus felleus (p. 375) has bitter-tasting flesh, and its pores become dull pinkish as the spores mature. Boletus edulis (p. 101) has a reddish-brown cap and fine whitish reticulation. Boletus atkinsonii (p. 89) is also similar, but its cap surface is roughened with tufts of hyphae that are best observed with a hand lens, a dingy-white stalk with fine brownish reticulation, and smaller spores, 10–13 × 4–5 µm. Boletus nobilis (p. 121) has a taller stature, a paler-colored cap that is often somewhat pitted, a white to pale-ocher stalk that is sometimes streaked with pale brown, and delicate stalk reticulation that is normally limited to the upper portion. Compare with Boletus nobilissimus (p. 123). Boletus vermiculosoides
Boletus · 169 Boletus vermiculosoides A. H. Sm. & Thiers Common name(s): Wormy Bolete Overview: The Wormy Bolete and its lookalikes are distinctive because of their rich-brown pores that instantly bruise blackish blue. The term vermiculosoides means “resembling Boletus vermiculosus” (see photo, p. 169). The term vermiculosus means “infested with insect larvae,” a condition commonly observed in both of these species. Cap: 4–12 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex at maturity, margin even; surface dry, covered with tiny matted fibers, yellow when young or brownish with a yellow margin, becoming brown with maturity; flesh yellow, fading to pale yellow in age, quickly staining blue when exposed; odor pungent; taste astringent or not distinctive. Pores and tubes: dark brown when young, paler in age, staining blackish blue and then very slowly fading to dull brownish orange when bruised; tubes 6–20 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal, solid; surface dry, brownish pruinose over a dull-whitish or pale-yellow ground color with olive tints, staining blue and then dark brown when bruised; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Boletus vermiculosus
170 · Boletes of Eastern North America Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups under oak; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: widely distributed throughout eastern North America; occasional. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 9–12 × 3–4 µm, ellipsoidal, smooth, pale brown. Edibility: unknown; however, one of the authors has eaten this bolete several times without ill effect. Lookalikes: Boletus fagicola A. H. Sm. & Thiers (not illustrated) is nearly identical but has reticulation on the stalk, and its cap cuticle is a trichodermium rather than a cutis. Boletus vermiculosus Peck (see photo, p. 169) is very similar but has a dark-brown to grayish-brown or reddish-brown cap that stains vinaceous with KOH and has larger spores, 11–15 × 4–6 µm. Compare also with Boletus subgraveolens (p. 161), which has a stalk that is bright yellow at the apex, dull pale yellow and pruinose below, and reddish at the base. The stalk develops yellowish-brown tints from the base upward when handled or bruised and sometimes stains blue, and the flesh in its stalk base is reddish cinnamon. Boletus weberi
Bothia · 171 Boletus weberi Singer Common name(s): none. Overview: The dry, cracked, and scaly brownish cap, reddish pores, reddish and somewhat scaly stalk, and tart-tasting flesh that does not stain when exposed are key features of this unusual Gulf Coast bolete. The cap surface stains reddish brown with NH4OH and is negative with FeSO4. The flesh quickly stains greenish blue with NH4OH and is negative with FeSO4. Cap: 4–7 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly plane in age; surface dry, cracked and scaly with pale-yellow flesh showing in the cracks, brownish olive at first, becoming olive brown at maturity, sometimes with reddish tints, not staining when bruised, margin incurved at first, becoming decurved at maturity, even; flesh pale yellow, not staining blue when exposed; odor not distinctive; taste tart and somewhat lemony. Pores and tubes: dull red at first, becoming dull orange red and finally reddish orange, depressed at the stalk in age, not staining blue but sometimes slowly staining brown when bruised; tubes 3–6 mm deep. Stalk: enlarged downward to a conspicuously pinched base, solid; surface dry, fibrillose-punctate on the upper portion, becoming somewhat scaly-punctate on the lower portion, pinkish red to dull purplish red over a pale-yellow ground color on the upper portion, olive to brownish olive or olive brown over a yellow ground color on the lower portion, with tiny darkbrown punctae; flesh pale yellow, becoming olive yellow to dull mustard yellow at the base, with red or brown stains around larval tunnels. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups under longleaf pine, often with bluejack oak (Quercus incana) nearby; late spring and summer. Distribution and frequency: Florida west along the Gulf Coast into Texas; occasional. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 10–13 × 4–6 µm, narrowly ellipsoid to subfusoid, smooth, pale ochraceous. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Caloboletus inedulis (p. 191) has yellow pores that bruise blue and bitter-tasting flesh. The flesh or pores of other similar red-pored boletes stain blue when cut or bruised. Genus Bot hia Halling, Baroni & Binder The genus Bothia was erected in 2007 to accommodate a single species that had formerly been classified in several genera, including Boletinellus, Boletinus, and Suillus. The genus was named in honor of the late Ernst E. Both (1930–2012), a distinguished boletologist, researcher, and author. Bothia is based on the species Boletinus castanellus, which was originally described by
172 · Boletes of Eastern North America Charles H. Peck (1833–1917). At this time, the genus has only one species, Bothia castanella. The key identifying characteristics include a dry, somewhat velvety cap, whitish flesh that does not stain blue when exposed or bruised, shallow and decurrent boletinoid pores, and a dry stalk that is often reticulate, at least at the apex. Bothia castanella (Peck) Halling, Baroni & Manfr. Binder = Suillus castanellus (Peck) A. H. Sm. & Thiers = Boletinus castanellus Peck = Xerocomus castanellus (Peck) Snell & E. A. Dick = Boletinus squarrosoides Snell & E. A. Dick Common name(s): Both’s Bolete Overview: Bothia castanella has a combination of macroscopic and microscopic features that prompted past classification in seven different genera. The term castanella means “small chestnut,” a reference to the cap surface color. Cap: 2.5–10 cm wide, convex, becoming nearly plane or shallowly depressed in age; surface dry, covered with densely matted hairs when young, becoming Bothia castanella
Buchwaldoboletus · 173 nearly glabrous at maturity, brown to yellow brown, reddish brown, or burgundy; flesh soft-textured, white to dingy whitish, not staining or sometimes slowly becoming pale rusty; odor not distinctive; taste not distinctive or weakly acidic. Pores and tubes: subdecurrent to decurrent, with coarse and angular to elongated, often compound, radially arranged pores, pinkish brown to golden brown or pale cinnamon brown with pinkish tones, staining ochraceous tawny to dark rusty brown, not staining blue when bruised; tubes 4–6(10) mm deep. Stalk: variable from nearly equal to tapered downward or less often enlarged toward the base, solid; surface dry, concolorous with the cap but paler, reticulate at least on the upper portion, with a white basal mycelium; flesh concolorous with the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary or in groups, sometimes in caespitose clusters, under oak in woods and parklands; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: Maine south to South Carolina, west to Ohio; infrequent but possibly locally common. Spore print: yellow brown. Microscopic features: spores 8–11 × 4.5–5.5 µm, ovate to narrowly ellipsoidal, smooth, yellowish. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Suillus decipiens (p. 330) has a partial veil and ring zone. Genus Buch waldobolet us Pilát The genus Buchwaldoboletus was erected in 1969 to accommodate species formerly classified in the genus Boletus. Buchwaldoboletus is a small genus of about a dozen species distributed worldwide. Three species have been reported to date from eastern North America. Boletes in this genus are not mycorrhizal and are saprotrophic and lignicolous or parasitic. They have dry caps that often become cracked in age and yellow flesh that stains blue when exposed. Their stalks are solid and nearly equal or tapered in either direction, and they sometimes have reticulation at least on the upper portion.
174 · Boletes of Eastern North America Buchwaldoboletus hemichrysus (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Pilát = Boletus hemichrysus Berk. & M. A. Curtis = Pulveroboletus hemichrysus (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Singer Common name(s): Half Yellow Powdery Bolete Overview: The term hemichrysus means “half yellow,” a reference to the cap color. The key identification features include the bright-yellow to golden-yellow, powdery cap, yellow flesh that sometimes stains blue, yellow pores that become reddish brown, and mostly reddish-brown stalk. Cap: 3–8 cm wide, obtuse to convex, becoming broadly convex at maturity, margin even, incurved at first and remaining so well into maturity; surface dry, floccose-scaly to somewhat velvety, often cracked in age, usually coated with powder, bright yellow to golden yellow; flesh yellow, staining blue, sometimes slowly, or unchanging; odor not distinctive; taste not distinctive or slightly acidic. Pores and tubes: yellow at first, soon becoming reddish brown; attached to subdecurrent; tubes up to 1 cm deep. Stalk: 3–7 cm long, nearly equal or tapered in either direction, often with a narrowed base, dry, solid; color variable, like the cap with reddish or reddish-brown tints or reddish brown overall, often with yellowish basal mycelium; flesh concolorous with the cap flesh. Buchwaldoboletus hemichrysus
Buchwaldoboletus · 175 Habitat and season: solitary or scattered on the ground attached to buried roots or on pine wood; summer through early winter. Distribution and frequency: North Carolina south to Florida, west to Texas, distribution limits yet to be determined; rare to uncommon. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 6–9 × 2.5–4 µm, ellipsoid to subfusoid, smooth, yellowish. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Buchwaldoboletus sphaerocephalus (p. 179) has a sulfur-yellow cap when young that becomes pale yellow to whitish in age, yellow pores that become dull yellow to brownish yellow at maturity, and a yellow stalk without any reddish or brown tones. Buchwaldoboletus lignicola (p. 177) has a scaly or velvety and suede-like, reddish-brown to yellow-brown cap and grows on trunks, stumps, or roots of pine trees. Buchwaldoboletus lignicola (A)
Buchwaldoboletus lignicola (B)
Buchwaldoboletus · 177 Buchwaldoboletus lignicola (Kallenb.) Pilát = Boletus lignicola Kallenb. = Pulveroboletus lignicola (Kallenb.) E. A. Dick & Snell Common name(s): none. Overview: This unusual and seldom-encountered bolete is always a treat to find. Its growth on pine wood, apparent association with the polypore Phaeolus schweinitzii (Fr.) Pat., and general morphology make it rather easy to identify. The term lignicola means “growing on wood.” The cap surface immediately stains very intense black with NH4OH and is negative with FeSO4. Because this bolete grows on wood, it could be mistaken for a stalked polypore. Phaeolus schweinitzii is a polypore that often fruits with this bolete. Evidence strongly suggests that Buchwaldoboletus lignicola is not saprotrophic but instead is parasitic on Phaeolus schweinitzii (Nuhn et al. 2013). Cap: 2.5–12 cm wide, convex, becoming broadly convex in age, margin wavy, with a narrow band of sterile tissue, inrolled when young and remaining so well into maturity; surface dry, scaly or velvety and suede-like, sometimes finely cracked in age, reddish brown to yellow brown, occasionally darker brown at the margin, sometimes staining darker brown when bruised; flesh firm, pale yellow, quickly or sometimes slowly staining blue when cut; odor sweet, somewhat minty or citrus-like; taste weakly acidic or not distinctive. Buchwaldoboletus lignicola (C)
178 · Boletes of Eastern North America Pores and tubes: yellow to golden yellow at first, becoming greenish yellow in age, staining dark greenish blue to blackish blue and then fading to reddish brown when bruised, attached to subdecurrent; tubes 3–12 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal or tapered in either direction, usually narrowed at the base, frequently eccentric, solid; surface dry, somewhat velvety, golden mustard yellow at the apex and reddish brown to yellow brown below, staining darker brown when bruised, often finely reddish reticulate at the apex, basal mycelium yellow; flesh rusty toward the base, otherwise concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary or scattered on pine trees, stumps, or roots, sometimes on the ground near stumps, in pine or mixed oak and pine woods; summer and fall. Distribution and frequency: eastern Canada south to Florida, west to Michigan, distribution limits yet to be established; rare. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 6–10 × 3–4 µm, ellipsoid, smooth, yellowish. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Buchwaldoboletus hemichrysus (p. 174) is similar but has a brighter-yellow to golden-yellow and very powdery cap, flesh that lacks a distinctive odor, taste that is not distinctive or slightly acidic, and yellow pores that soon become reddish brown. Buchwaldoboletus sphaerocephalus (p. 179) is similar but has a sulfur-yellow cap when young that becomes pale yellow to whitish in age, yellow pores that become dull yellow to brownish yellow at maturity, and a yellow stalk without any reddish or brown tones. Buchwaldoboletus sphaerocephalus
Buchwaldoboletus · 179 Buchwaldoboletus sphaerocephalus (Barla) Watling & T. H. Li = Boletus sphaerocephalus Barla = Boletus hemichrysus f. sphaerocephalus (Barla) Estadès & Lannoy = Buchwaldoboletus sulphureus (Quél.) Watling & N. M. Greg. = Phlebopus sulphureus Singer Common name(s): none. Overview: The term sphaerocephalus means “round cap.” This bolete’s key identification features include the yellow cap that becomes cracked in age, yellow flesh that typically stains blue, yellow pores that stain blue and then slowly brownish, and yellow stalk. Cap: 4–12 cm wide, nearly spherical at first, becoming convex to broadly convex at maturity, margin incurved and remaining so well into maturity, even or nearly so, often wavy or lobed in age; surface dry to slightly viscid, glabrous, often cracked in age, sulfur yellow when young, becoming pale yellow to whitish at maturity; flesh sulfur yellow to pale yellow, typically staining blue when exposed but sometimes slowly or not at all; odor not distinctive; taste somewhat bitter or not distinctive. Pores and tubes: yellow at first, becoming dull yellow to brownish yellow, depressed at the stalk in age, staining blue and then slowly brownish when bruised; tubes 8–15 mm deep. Stalk: nearly equal down to a tapered base, solid; surface dry, nearly glabrous, yellow, with yellow basal mycelium; flesh concolorous with and staining like the cap flesh. Habitat and season: solitary, scattered, or in groups or clusters in pine sawdust, on pine stumps, or in the surrounding soil or sometimes fruiting in woodsheds or woodstalls that contain pine wood; summer and fall or yearround in woodsheds or woodstalls. Distribution and frequency: eastern Canada south to Florida, west along the Gulf Coast to Texas; rare. Spore print: olive brown. Microscopic features: spores 7–9 × 3–4 µm, oblong to ellipsoid, smooth, yellow. Edibility: unknown. Lookalikes: Buchwaldoboletus lignicola (p. 177) is similar but has a yellow-brown to reddish-brown, scaly to velvety, and suede-like cap; a yellow-brown to reddish-brown stalk; pale-yellow flesh that has a sweet, citrus-like odor; and yellow to golden-yellow pores that quickly stain dark greenish blue to blackish blue.