Boletus type fungus

[Adam Cheeseman]

Hi All,

I was at work today when I found a boletus type fungus that I haven't seen before. It was about 6-8 inches tall and had a very large, almost conically domed cap that was a a pale washed out brown concolorous with the stipe. It was growing under willows and some birches within a few feet of a lake. I hope to have a photo tomorrow.
Any suggestions as to likely species?

Cheers,

Adam

[KeenTeen17]

could be leccinum scabrum

if it was under birch

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

Hi All,

I was at work today when I found a boletus type fungus that I haven't seen before. It was about 6-8 inches tall and had a very large, almost conically domed cap that was a a pale washed out brown concolorous with the stipe. It was growing under willows and some birches within a few feet of a lake. I hope to have a photo tomorrow.
Any suggestions as to likely species?

Cheers,

Adam

hi Adam

you (almost) share the surname of a well-known Yorkshire mycologist of a century ago - he lacked the second 'e'
(his name was honoured by being used in at least 8 fungus names - including a Coprinus cheesmanii Gibbs (not British - he did collect interesting dung when in Africa - including hippo! - so it probably grew on something like that; we have some of Gibbs' drawings of Cheesman's dung fungi in the collections where I work, as well as some of his slime-mould collections)

Anyway, to your bolete; KT is probably right, it is the commonest of this group, but there are several others; you really need to pick it cut it in half and look for any colour changes in the flesh (particularly in the cap and stem base) the colour change - unlike those of some boletes - can be quite slow to develop (several hours)

before and after pics of the cut surface would be useful . . .

best wishes

Chris

[Adam Cheeseman]

Some photo's of said fungus


In situ


after collection


Cross section immediately after cutting. After 2 hrs there was no marked change other than the flesh going ever so slightly darker.


Cheers,

Adam

[KeenTeen17]

I think its leccinum scabrum still. the photos point towards that species

[Chris Yeates]

yes I agree with KT . . . a distinctly spongey 'giving' feel to the cap surface is often a useful clue . . . but no colour changes

thanks for taking the effort - it makes for easier attempts at naming

Chris

[NickCantle]

Note the massively disproportionate pileus, presumably due to excessive moisture intake. These Leccinum don't half act like a sponge!

L. scabrum from me too

[flaxton]

Adam
Sorry to disagree with KT and Chris but because the squamules on the stipe are quite small I would tend to go with either the darker form of holopus which was previously naucatum or the new species of schistophylum. Schistophylum grows in damper areas (as does holopus) but scabrum prefers drier sites.

Mal

[NickCantle]

Throwing a spanner in the mix there But a positive spanner!

Will be interesting to see what Cybershot David makes of this specimen- he recently found L. holopus so I think it'll be fresh in his mind!

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Throwing a spanner in the mix there But a positive spanner!

Will be interesting to see what Cybershot David makes of this specimen- he recently found L. holopus so I think it'll be fresh in his mind!

Nick
The typical form of holopus is slender and very pale to almost white and found in sphagnum. A slightly darker version is found in wet Betula woods. This was given the status of a species by Lannoy & Estades as Leccinum nucatum. Unfortunately DNA has now proved that they are the same species and I assume the differences caused by the habitat. When David found his "type" it might differ quite markedly from this specimen

Mal