Bolete

Not to be confused withPleurotus eryngii,sometimes known asboletus of the steppes.

A bolete,Boletus edulis,showing the solid looking, spongy bottom surface, which is the defining characteristic of boletes.

Aboleteis a type ofmushroom,orfungalfruiting body.It can be identified thanks to a unique mushroomcap.The cap is clearly different from thestem.On the underside of the cap there is usually a spongy surface withpores,instead of thegillstypical of mushrooms. However, there are some boletes that are gilled, such as species ofChroogomphus,Gomphidius,Paxillus,PhylloporusandHygrophoropsis aurantiaca.

"Bolete" is the Englishcommon namefor fungus species whose mushroom caps have this appearance.

The boletes are classified in the orderBoletales.Not all members of the order Boletales are boletes. Themicromorphologyandmolecular phylogenyof the order Boletales have established that it also contains manygilled,puffball,and other fruit body shapes. A similar pore surface is found inpolypores,but these species generally have a different physical structure from boletes, and have different microscopic characteristics than boletes. Many polypores have much firmer, often woody, flesh.

Boletes are susceptible to infection by the fungusHypomyces chrysospermus,also known as thebolete eater.

External links

• "Evolution & Morphology in the Homobasidiomycetes" by Gary Lincoff & Michael Wood,MykoWeb.com