Bolete
Encyclopedia
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
that is clearly differentiated from the stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
, with a spongy surface of pores (rather than gills
Gill (mushroom)
A lamella, or gill, is a papery hymenophore rib under the cap of some mushroom species, most often but not always agarics. The gills are used by the mushrooms as a means of spore dispersal, and are important for species identification...
) on the underside of the pileus. "Bolete" is also the English common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
for fungal species having this kind of morphology.
The boletes are classified in the Boletales
Boletales
The Boletales are an order of Agaricomycetes, containing over 1300 species with a diverse array of fruiting body types. The boletes are the best known members of this group, and until recently, the Boletales were thought to only contain boletes...
; however, not all members of that order are boletes; recent discoveries in the micromorphology and molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogenetics is the analysis of hereditary molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic tree...
of this group have established that it also contains a large number of agarics, gasteromycetes, and other fruiting body morphologies. Similar pore surfaces exist in the polyporales and other orders, but these species usually lack the overall physical structure of boletes, have much firmer (often woody) flesh, or are otherwise differentiated.
Generally, the term refers to members of the genus Boletus
Boletus
Boletus is a genus of mushroom, comprising over 100 species. The genus Boletus was originally broadly defined and described by Elias Magnus Fries in 1821, essentially containing all fungi with pores...
, but as superficially similar fungi have been placed in other genera, many of them have retained the common name. These include:
- Birch bolete - Leccinum scabrum
- Bitter bolete - Tylopilus felleusTylopilus felleusTylopilus felleus, formerly Boletus felleus, is a fungus of the bolete family, found in Northern Europe and North America. Although it is not poisonous, it is not considered edible, due to its overwhelming bitterness.-Taxonomy:...
- Chestnut bolete - Gyroporus castaneusGyroporus castaneusGyroporus castaneus, or commonly the chestnut bolete, is a small, white-pored relation of the Boletus mushrooms. It has a brown cap, and is usually found with oak trees. It differs from the true boletes in that the spores are a pale straw colour....
- Manzanita bolete - Leccinum manzanitaeLeccinum manzanitaeLeccinum manzanitae is an edible species of fungus in the Boletaceae family of mushrooms. Commonly known as the Manzanita bolete for its association with Manzanita trees, it is recognized by its reddish to brown cap and tough stem with small black scales known as scabers.- Taxonomy :This species...
- Rhubarb bolete - Boletellus obscureococcineus