Boletus pulcherrimus
Encyclopedia
Boletus pulcherrimus, commonly known as Alice Eastwood's boletus or the red-pored bolete, is a species of mushroom in the Boletaceae
family. It is a large bolete
from Western North America with distinguishing features that include a finely netted surface on the upper third of the stem
, a red to brown cap
and stem color, and red pores that stain blue upon injury. Formerly known as B. eastwoodiae, the original specimen was reviewed in 1976 and found to be B. satanas. To date it is the only bolete that has been implicated in the death of someone consuming it; a couple developed gastrointestinal symptoms in 1994 after eating this fungus with the husband succumbing. Autopsy revealed infarction
of the midgut.
and Roy E. Halling as Boletus pulcherrimus, from the Latin
pulcherrimus, meaning "very pretty". The original material collected by Alice Eastwood
of the California Academy of Sciences
and sent to William Murrill
who described it as Boletus eastwoodiae was found on examination to belong to Boletus satanas. The common name
s of B. pulcherrimus include "Alice Eastwood's boletus", and the "red-pored bolete".
The cap may reach a thickness of 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) when mature. The adnate (attached squarely to the stem) pores are bright red to dark red or red-brown and bruise dark blue or black; there are 2 to 3 pores per mm in young specimens, and in maturity they expand to about 1 or 2 per mm. In cross section, the tubes and flesh
are yellow. The tubes are between 0.5 to 1.5 cm (0.196850393700787 to 0.590551181102362 in) long, while the angular pores are up to 1 mm in diameter; pores can range in color from dark red in young specimens to reddish brown in age. The pores will stain a blue color when cut or bruised. The solid, firm stem
is 7–20 cm (3–8 in) long and thick—up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, at the base before tapering to 2–5 cm (1–2 in) at the top. It is yellow or yellow-brown in color and bears a network of red reticulations on the upper 2/3 of its length. The spore print
is olive-brown. The taste of the flesh
is reportedly mild, and the odor indistinct, or "slightly fragrant".
Microscopic characters
The spores
are spindle-shaped or elliptical, thick-walled, smooth, and have dimensions of 13–16 by 5.5–6.5 μm
. The basidia, the spore-bearing cells, are club-shaped (clavate), attached to 1 to 4 spores, and have dimensions of 35–90 by 9–12 μm. The cystidia (sterile, non-spore-bearing cells found interspersed among the basidia) in the hymenium
have dimensions of 33–60 by 8–12 μm. Clamp connection
s are absent in the hypha
e of B. pulcherrimus.
also has red pores, but does not have reticulations on the stem.
Boletus pulcherrimus is found in western North America, from New Mexico
and California
to Washington, and may feasibly occur in British Columbia
, Canada. One source notes it grows at low altitudes in the Cascade Range
and Olympic Mountains
; another claims it grows at high elevations, over 5000 ft (1,524 m). Fruiting in autumn, it grows singly or in groups (although another source claims "never in groups") in humus in mixed woodlands. In the original publication describing the species, Thiers and Halling note that it is associated with forests containing tanbark oaks (Lithocarpus densiflora), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and Giant Fir (Abies grandis). Smith and Weber mention increased fruitings after warm heavy fall rains following a humid summer.
symptoms after eating this fungus and the husband died as a result. A subsequent autopsy revealed that the man had suffered an infarction
of the midgut. Boletus pulcherrimus is therefore the only bolete that has been implicated in the death of someone consuming it. It is known to contain low levels of muscarine
, a peripheral nervous system
toxin.
Boletaceae
Boletaceae are a family of mushrooms, primarily characterized by developing their spores in small pores on the underside of the mushroom, instead of gills, as are found in agarics. Nearly as widely distributed as agarics, they include the Cep or King Bolete , much sought after by mushroom hunters...
family. It is a large bolete
Bolete
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...
from Western North America with distinguishing features that include a finely netted surface on the upper third of the stem
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...
, a red to brown cap
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...
and stem color, and red pores that stain blue upon injury. Formerly known as B. eastwoodiae, the original specimen was reviewed in 1976 and found to be B. satanas. To date it is the only bolete that has been implicated in the death of someone consuming it; a couple developed gastrointestinal symptoms in 1994 after eating this fungus with the husband succumbing. Autopsy revealed infarction
Infarction
In medicine, infarction refers to tissue death that is caused by a local lack of oxygen due to obstruction of the tissue's blood supply. The resulting lesion is referred to as an infarct.-Causes:...
of the midgut.
Taxonomy
The species was described in 1976 by American mycologists Harry D. ThiersHarry D. Thiers
Harry Delbert Thiers, born January 22, 1919 in Fort McKavett, Texas, died August 8, 2000 in Ohio, was an American mycologist who studied and named a great many fungi of native to North America, particularly California. Thiers taught mycology at San Francisco State University for many years, and a...
and Roy E. Halling as Boletus pulcherrimus, from the Latin
Latin
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...
pulcherrimus, meaning "very pretty". The original material collected by Alice Eastwood
Alice Eastwood
Alice Eastwood was a Canadian American botanist. Born in Toronto, she moved to the United States at 14, and from age twenty to thirty, was a teacher in Denver, Colorado and taught herself botany. In 1890 she assumed a post in the herbarium at the California Academy of Sciences...
of the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
and sent to William Murrill
William Murrill
William Alphonso Murrill was an American mycologist, known for his contributions to the knowledge of the Agaricales and Polyporaceae.- Education :...
who described it as Boletus eastwoodiae was found on examination to belong to Boletus satanas. The 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...
s of B. pulcherrimus include "Alice Eastwood's boletus", and the "red-pored bolete".
Description
Colored various shades of olive- to reddish-brown, the cap may sometimes reach 25 centimetres (10 in) in diameter and is convex in shape before flattening at maturity. The cap surface may be smooth or velvety when young, but may be scaled in older specimens; the margin of the cap is curved inwards in young specimens but rolls out and flattens as it matures.Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
are yellow. The tubes are between 0.5 to 1.5 cm (0.196850393700787 to 0.590551181102362 in) long, while the angular pores are up to 1 mm in diameter; pores can range in color from dark red in young specimens to reddish brown in age. The pores will stain a blue color when cut or bruised. The solid, firm stem
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...
is 7–20 cm (3–8 in) long and thick—up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, at the base before tapering to 2–5 cm (1–2 in) at the top. It is yellow or yellow-brown in color and bears a network of red reticulations on the upper 2/3 of its length. The 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...
is olive-brown. The taste of the flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is reportedly mild, and the odor indistinct, or "slightly fragrant".
Microscopic characters
The spores
Basidiospore
A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are produced by specialized fungal cells called basidia. In grills under a cap of one common species in the phylum of...
are spindle-shaped or elliptical, thick-walled, smooth, and have dimensions of 13–16 by 5.5–6.5 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...
. The basidia, the spore-bearing cells, are club-shaped (clavate), attached to 1 to 4 spores, and have dimensions of 35–90 by 9–12 μm. The cystidia (sterile, non-spore-bearing cells found interspersed among the basidia) in the hymenium
Hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia or...
have dimensions of 33–60 by 8–12 μm. Clamp connection
Clamp connection
A clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...
s are absent in the hypha
Hypha
A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...
e of B. pulcherrimus.
Similar species
Although the relatively large fruiting bodies of B. pulcherrimus are distinctive, they might be confused with superficially similar species, such as Boletus satanas; the latter species has a much thicker stalk. Another similar species is B. haematinus, which may be distinguished by its yellower stem and cap colors that are various shades of brown. Boletus erythropusBoletus erythropus
Boletus luridiformis, formerly known as Boletus erythropus, is a wild mushroom of the bolete family, all of which have tubes and pores, instead of gills beneath their caps. It is found in Northern Europe, and North America, and is sometimes commonly known as the Dotted Stem Bolete...
also has red pores, but does not have reticulations on the stem.
Distribution and habitat
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Washington, and may feasibly occur in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada. One source notes it grows at low altitudes in the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
and Olympic Mountains
Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
; another claims it grows at high elevations, over 5000 ft (1,524 m). Fruiting in autumn, it grows singly or in groups (although another source claims "never in groups") in humus in mixed woodlands. In the original publication describing the species, Thiers and Halling note that it is associated with forests containing tanbark oaks (Lithocarpus densiflora), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and Giant Fir (Abies grandis). Smith and Weber mention increased fruitings after warm heavy fall rains following a humid summer.
Toxicity
In general, blue-staining red-pored boletes should be avoided for consumption. Thiers warned this species may be toxic after being alerted to severe gastrointestinal symptoms in one who had merely tasted it. Years later, in 1994, a couple developed gastrointestinalGastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
symptoms after eating this fungus and the husband died as a result. A subsequent autopsy revealed that the man had suffered an infarction
Infarction
In medicine, infarction refers to tissue death that is caused by a local lack of oxygen due to obstruction of the tissue's blood supply. The resulting lesion is referred to as an infarct.-Causes:...
of the midgut. Boletus pulcherrimus is therefore the only bolete that has been implicated in the death of someone consuming it. It is known to contain low levels of muscarine
Muscarine
Muscarine, L--muscarine, or muscarin is a natural product found in certain mushrooms, particularly in Inocybe and Clitocybe species, such as the deadly C. dealbata. Mushrooms in the genera Entoloma and Mycena have also been found to contain levels of muscarine which can be dangerous if ingested...
, a peripheral nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
The peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord. The main function of the PNS is to connect the central nervous system to the limbs and organs. Unlike the CNS, the PNS is not protected by the bone of spine and skull, or by the blood–brain...
toxin.
See also
- List of Boletus species
- List of deadly fungi