Fleshy Fungi of New Brunswick >> Boletus subvelutipes

Boletus subvelutipes Peck

Scattered to gregarious (several) in a large arc surrounding Betula papyrifera in a rural lawn with Rhytidiodelphus sp, Hieracleum sp. and grasses, Little Lepreau, New Brunswick (24-09-17/01).

Basidiospores greyish orange to pale orange (HSV40:40:90-100) in spore print, boletoid, smooth, 11.9-15.8 X 4.2-5.2 μm, D/d = 2.56-3.22 (average[40]: 13.3 X 4.6 μm, D/d = 2.88). Hymenial cystidia scattered, ventricose to lageniform. Pileipellis a thin ixotrichodermium in young basidiomata, collapsing to become a thin cutis in later stages of development. Stipitipellis composed of clusters or lines of short hyphae and cystidia forming an ixotrichodermium, seated on a cutis-like sublayer.

Boletus subvelutipes is commonly reported across much of eastern North America. It is characterized by its red to red-brown pileus and red tube mouths when when young. The flesh of the pileus, tubes and stipe turn blue when cut. Although easily recognized there is evidence that what we call B. subvelutipes is in fact a group of closely related species. Smith & Thiers (Boletes of Michigan, 1971) noted how collections from northern Michigan seemed to differ from the type specimen Charles Peck described from upstate New York. Other collectors have noticed how their collections differ from both Peck's collection and from the Michigan material. Thus it's not too surprising that Collection 24-09-17/01, from a cool humid area of coastal New Brunswick seems to offer yet more variation on the theme.

The collection illustrated here has the macroscopic features usually noted for the species. Unfortunately many authors don't include enough information about the microscopic features of their collections to make more detailed comparisons possible. It is hoped that our illustrations and spore measurments may help others sort out their collections and discover where molecular methods might be applied.

Photograph: D. Malloch (24-09-17/01).