Boletus pinophilus
Encyclopedia
Boletus pinophilus, commonly known as the pine bolete or pinewood king bolete, is a basidiomycete
fungus
of the genus
Boletus
found throughout Europe. The large, edible fruiting bodies known as mushroom
s appear under pine trees, generally in summer and autumn. It has a matte brown to maroon-coloured cap and its stem is often large and swollen, and the overall colour may have an orange-red tinge. As with other boletes, the size of the fruiting body is variable. Boletus pinophilus is edible, and may be preserved and cooked.
For many years, Boletus pinophilus was considered a subspecies
or form
of the porcini mushroom B. edulis
. In 2008, B. pinophilus in western North America
were reclassified as a new species, Boletus rex-veris
.
pinus "pine", and Ancient Greek
philus "loving". Boletus pinicola is a synonym subsequently found to be an invalid name. Common names include the pine bolete, and the pinewood king bolete.
In 2008, a taxonomic revision of western North America
n populations of this species was published, formally establishing it as a distinct species, Boletus rex-veris
. Phylogenetic
analysis has shown B. pinophilus as a member of a clade
, or closely related group, with the North American species B. subcaerulescens
, Gastroboletus subalpinus
, B. regineus
, B. fibrillosus
, and B. rex-veris
.
The fruiting body has a convex-shaped cap
, at first small in relation to its stipe
, expanding in volume as it matures. The skin of the cap is dry, matte and can be coloured from maroon
to chocolate brown
with a reddish tint. These characteristics distinguish it visually from relatives such as Boletus edulis
, Boletus reticulatus
and Boletus aereus
. The young, immature cap may have a pale pink colour and a white, powdery flush. Measuring 4–10 cm (1.6–4 in) tall by 3–8 (1.2–2.2–in) cm wide, the bulbous stipe is often large, swollen and imposing, bearing a network. The overall colour may have an orange-red tinge which is more obvious in the lowest parts, although this is also common in other species. As with all boletes, the size of the fruiting body can be very variable. The cap diameter can be as much as 30 cm (12 in) and stem height 15 cm (6 in).
Like other boletes, Boletus pinophilus has small pores on the underside of its cap rather than gills. These are coloured white at first, becoming yellow with age and olivaceous-brown at full maturity. The spore
s are cylindric-ellipsoid, smooth, with oil drops and dimensions 15.5–20 by 4.5–5.5 µm
. They produce an olivaceous brown spore print
.
Boletus pinophilus forms ectomycorrhizal
relationships with pine
(Pinus), fir
(Abies) and spruce
(Picea). It can therefore be located wherever those trees grow, particularly with Scots pine
in Britain, preferring the poor, acidic, and sandy soils associated with coniferous forests. It appears to favour Pinus, while the form of the mushroom occurring in association with Abies and Picea has been labeled Boletus pinophilus var. fuscoruber. However, it is not confined to coniferous trees and may also be found fruiting in deciduous forests, such as under chestnut trees. Fruiting bodies can occur singly, or in small groups throughout the summer and autumn months, although they are known to appear as early as April in Italy.
s. The flesh is white, soft in mature specimens and does not change colour upon bruising. The taste and smell is pleasant. It is easily misidentified as the porcini Boletus edulis
, due to the similar habitat and appearance.
B. pinophilus is known to be a bioaccumulator
of the heavy metal mercury. To reduce exposure, authorities recommend avoiding mushrooms from polluted areas such as those near mines, smelters, roadways, incinerators and disposal sites. Furthermore, pores should be removed as they contain the highest concentrations of pollutants.
Basidiomycota
Basidiomycota is one of two large phyla that, together with the Ascomycota, comprise the subkingdom Dikarya within the Kingdom Fungi...
fungus
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...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
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...
found throughout Europe. The large, edible fruiting bodies known as mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s appear under pine trees, generally in summer and autumn. It has a matte brown to maroon-coloured cap and its stem is often large and swollen, and the overall colour may have an orange-red tinge. As with other boletes, the size of the fruiting body is variable. Boletus pinophilus is edible, and may be preserved and cooked.
For many years, Boletus pinophilus was considered a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
or form
Form (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, a form is one of the "secondary" taxonomic ranks, below that of variety, which in turn is below that of species; it is an infraspecific taxon...
of the porcini mushroom B. edulis
Boletus edulis
Boletus edulis, commonly known as penny bun, porcino or cep, is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus Boletus. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North America, it does not occur naturally in the Southern Hemisphere, although it has been...
. In 2008, B. pinophilus in western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
were reclassified as a new species, Boletus rex-veris
Boletus rex-veris
Boletus rex-veris, commonly known as the spring king bolete, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Boletus found in western North America. The large, edible fruiting bodies known as mushrooms appear under pine trees, generally in May to June. It has a pinkish to brownish cap and its stem is often...
.
Taxonomy
Boletus pinophilus was for many years considered a variety of Boletus edulis, and before that as Boletus pinicola. This species, while no longer treated as a variety of B. edulis, is classified in Boletus section Boletus, and hence, as a close relative of B. edulis. It gained its current name in 1973, described by Czech mycologists A. Pilát and A. Dermek. Its specific epithet is a mix of LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
pinus "pine", and Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
philus "loving". Boletus pinicola is a synonym subsequently found to be an invalid name. Common names include the pine bolete, and the pinewood king bolete.
In 2008, a taxonomic revision of western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n populations of this species was published, formally establishing it as a distinct species, Boletus rex-veris
Boletus rex-veris
Boletus rex-veris, commonly known as the spring king bolete, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Boletus found in western North America. The large, edible fruiting bodies known as mushrooms appear under pine trees, generally in May to June. It has a pinkish to brownish cap and its stem is often...
. Phylogenetic
Phylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
analysis has shown B. pinophilus as a member of a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
, or closely related group, with the North American species B. subcaerulescens
Boletus subcaerulescens
Boletus subcaerulescens is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Boletus found in northeastern North America. The fruiting bodies are found associated with pine and spruce. The cap is up to 18 cm wide, convex to flat, and brown in color. The tubes are yellow and stain blue when bruised, while...
, Gastroboletus subalpinus
Gastroboletus subalpinus
Gastroboletus subalpinus is a species of fungus in the family Boletaceae. The species was first described scientifically in 1969 by American mycologists Harry Delbert Thiers and James M. Trappe. It is found in California and Oregon....
, B. regineus
Boletus regineus
Boletus regineus, commonly known as the queen bolete, is an edible and highly regarded fungus of the Boletus family that inhabits southwestern North America. It was considered a variant of the similarly edible B. edulis for many years until declared a unique species in 2008. Phylogenetic analysis...
, B. fibrillosus
Boletus fibrillosus
Boletus fibrillosus is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Boletus found in western North America. The fruiting bodies are found in mixed coastal forests in the fall. The cap is up to 17 cm wide, buff to brown to dark brown in color, and has a wrinkled to finely fibrous texture. The tubes...
, and B. rex-veris
Boletus rex-veris
Boletus rex-veris, commonly known as the spring king bolete, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Boletus found in western North America. The large, edible fruiting bodies known as mushrooms appear under pine trees, generally in May to June. It has a pinkish to brownish cap and its stem is often...
.
Description
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...
, at first small in relation to its 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...
, expanding in volume as it matures. The skin of the cap is dry, matte and can be coloured from maroon
Maroon (color)
Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
to chocolate brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
with a reddish tint. These characteristics distinguish it visually from relatives such as Boletus edulis
Boletus edulis
Boletus edulis, commonly known as penny bun, porcino or cep, is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus Boletus. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North America, it does not occur naturally in the Southern Hemisphere, although it has been...
, Boletus reticulatus
Boletus reticulatus
Boletus reticulatus , and commonly referred to as the summer cep is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Boletus. It occurs in deciduous forests of Europe where it forms a symbiotic mycorrhizal relationship with species of oak...
and Boletus aereus
Boletus aereus
Boletus aereus is a bolete, an edible mushroom frequently consumed in the Basque Country, Navarre, France and Italy. It is commonly known as ontto beltza in Basque, porcino nero in Italian, and tête de nègre in French...
. The young, immature cap may have a pale pink colour and a white, powdery flush. Measuring 4–10 cm (1.6–4 in) tall by 3–8 (1.2–2.2–in) cm wide, the bulbous stipe is often large, swollen and imposing, bearing a network. The overall colour may have an orange-red tinge which is more obvious in the lowest parts, although this is also common in other species. As with all boletes, the size of the fruiting body can be very variable. The cap diameter can be as much as 30 cm (12 in) and stem height 15 cm (6 in).
Like other boletes, Boletus pinophilus has small pores on the underside of its cap rather than gills. These are coloured white at first, becoming yellow with age and olivaceous-brown at full maturity. The spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are cylindric-ellipsoid, smooth, with oil drops and dimensions 15.5–20 by 4.5–5.5 µm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
. They produce an olivaceous brown spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
.
Distribution and habitat
In Europe, Boletus pinophilus is found in Britain, where it is more common in Scotland, and in France, where it is more common in the south. It is sold commercially in Finland.Boletus pinophilus forms ectomycorrhizal
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
relationships with pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
(Pinus), fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
(Abies) and spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
(Picea). It can therefore be located wherever those trees grow, particularly with Scots pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
in Britain, preferring the poor, acidic, and sandy soils associated with coniferous forests. It appears to favour Pinus, while the form of the mushroom occurring in association with Abies and Picea has been labeled Boletus pinophilus var. fuscoruber. However, it is not confined to coniferous trees and may also be found fruiting in deciduous forests, such as under chestnut trees. Fruiting bodies can occur singly, or in small groups throughout the summer and autumn months, although they are known to appear as early as April in Italy.
Edibility
The Boletus pinophilus is edible, and may be used fresh, preserved, dried and cooked in a manner similar to that of other edible boleteBolete
A bolete is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe, with a spongy surface of pores on the underside of the pileus...
s. The flesh is white, soft in mature specimens and does not change colour upon bruising. The taste and smell is pleasant. It is easily misidentified as the porcini Boletus edulis
Boletus edulis
Boletus edulis, commonly known as penny bun, porcino or cep, is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus Boletus. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North America, it does not occur naturally in the Southern Hemisphere, although it has been...
, due to the similar habitat and appearance.
B. pinophilus is known to be a bioaccumulator
Bioaccumulation
Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other organic chemicals in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost...
of the heavy metal mercury. To reduce exposure, authorities recommend avoiding mushrooms from polluted areas such as those near mines, smelters, roadways, incinerators and disposal sites. Furthermore, pores should be removed as they contain the highest concentrations of pollutants.