Suillus placidus (Bonord.) Singer

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

This rather rare ivory-coloured bolete appears at the edges of plantations of yellow pines (Pinus strobus) in lowland areas; it is also found in mountainous regions where it grows beneath Pinus cembra. (This bolete is also found in North America, where it is also mycorrhizal with pine trees.)

Although reportedly edible, Suillus placidus is not noted as an esculent, and in any case the rarity of this smallish bolete makes it inappropriate to collect for eating.

Identification Guide

	Cap The young cap shown here is pure ivory white and very slimy. Older caps remain viscid and darken only slightly as they expand from convex to almost flat. Beneath the viscid cuticle, the cap flesh is very pale grey at first, yellowing somewhat as the fruiting body matures. At maturity, the cap diameter is usually 7 to 10cm.
	Tubes and Pores Initially ivory, the pore openings darken slightly as they become stained by falling spores. The largish tubes are pale grey at first, yellowing slightly with age.
	Stem The slender stem is ivory-white with vinaceous blotches near the apex. There is no stem ring. Typically 1.5 to 2cm in diameter, stems range from 5 to 10cm in height.
Spore print	A dingy ochre colour.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	On or beside stumps; also beside woodland footpaths.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	Frequent
Similar species	Leccinum holopus, a rare bolete found under birch, is pure white when young but develops a blue tinge as it matures. When cut, the flesh at the base of the stem turns blue-green.

Reference Sources

Fascinated by Fungi, Pat O'Reilly 2011

Dictionary of the Fungi; Paul M. Kirk, Paul F. Cannon, David W. Minter and J. A. Stalpers; CABI, 2008

Taxonomic history and synonym information on these pages is drawn from many sources but in particular from the British Mycological Society's GB Checklist of Fungi and (for basidiomycetes) on Kew's Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota.