larch bolete suillus grevelli

Larch Bolete – Suillus grevillei

Fungi of the Week

5th June 2020 | Info

Common name: Larch bolete 

Scientific name:Suillus grevillei 

Introduction: The Larch Bolete (Suillus grevillei) is a UK-native, ectomycorrhizal fungus that appears during summer and autumn.  

Identification

Cap: The caps of a larch bolete vary in colour, ranging from a pale yellow to a rusty yellow. They are viscid when wet and remain shiny even in dry weather. They can reach up to 12cm wide, expanding as they mature and occasionally develop a raised umbo. Quite often, these caps will also have wavy margins. 

Tubes: Larch bolete tubes are pale yellow. 

Pores: The pores of a larch bolete begin a lemony-yellow colour and are angular, often covered by a white ‘veil’. As the fruiting body of the fungus matures, these pores then change into an orange-brown colour, and the veil disperses. When bruised, you will find that they then turn to a deeper, almost rust-like brown. 

Stem:Typically, up to 2cm wide and up to 7cm tall, the stems of a Larch bolete are covered in brown scales. However, the white veil-like film that covers the pores and tubes of a fruiting body form a distinct transient ring that falls away as the fungus matures. This then leaves behind a pale area on the stem that is typically scale-less unlike the rest of the stem.  

Spores:Spores of a Larch bolete are smooth and sub-fusiform with a yellowish-brown spore print. 

Flesh:Firm. 

Habitat/Impact on Trees

Larch boletes are commonly found in grassland under Larch trees of which they have an ectomycorrhizal bond with. Typically, you will see them appear during summer and autumn. 

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