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The order Boletales contains the families boletaceae, which have
spore tubes and pores, and the gomphidiaceae and paxillaceae - gilled mushrooms
closely related to the boletes.
Boletes are large cap-and-stipe fungi and much sought after both as a
source of free meals and as beautiful fungi in their own right. The
majority of boletes are edible and some - the Cep or Penny Bun Bolete, Boletus
edilis, is a good example - are considered real delicacies and fetch
high prices in restaurants.
| With few exceptions, fungi within the order
Boletales have spore-bearing tubes with pore openings beneath their caps
rather than the more familiar gills of agaric cap-and-stipe fungi. The
most commonly encountered families in this order are Boletaceae,
Xerocomaceae and Strobilomycetaceae (all with pores); and Gomphidiaceae and Gyrodontaceae (with gills). |
Hygrophoropsis
aurantiaca
- a gilled bolete
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| As a general guideline, gilled boletes are
inedible and some (Paxillus involutus, the Brown Roll-rim is one
such example) are known to be toxic. All pored boletes with red or orange
tubes and pores are also best avoided. Boletus satanus, a large and
very attractive mushroom with bright red pores, is seriously toxic
and no part of it should even be tasted. |
Paxillus
involutus
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| Most boletes grow on soil, with
only a minority found on rotting timber and one (Xerocomus parasiticus,
the Parasitic Bolete) lives as a parasite on another fungus, Scleroderma
citrinum (the Common Earthball). The most commonly occurring fungi in
this order are from the Boletus, Xerocomus, Suillus, Leccinum and Paxillus genera. |
| Many boletes grow in association with the
roots of just one or a few types of trees, in a 'mycorhizal relationship'
from which bothe tree and fungus benefit. Leccinum
scabrum, for example, grows only under birch trees. It is a great help
in identifying some of the more difficult boletes to note which trees they
were growing beneath. Some trees provide mycorhizal opportunities for
several kinds of boletes. Beech, birch and Scots Pine are particularly good in this respect.
The popular Penny Bun Bolete (Boletus edulis) is often very
difficult to find among fallen leaves. Surprisingly often, however, it
occurs in the same general area as the Fly Agaric, Amanita muscaria. So
whenever you find the bright caps of Fly Agaric take a good look around! |
Leccinum
scabrum
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| There are some 150 European
species identified within the order Boletales. |
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