Fleshy Fungi of New Brunswick >> Chalciporus_piperatus

Chalciporus piperatus (Bull.) Bataille

Gregarious (2) among mosses and needle litter, associated with Pinus banksiana and Picea rubens, NNW of Wayerton, Northumberland Co.,New Brunswick (15-09-19/06).

Basidiospores orange brown in spore print, boletoid, smooth, in Melzer's Solution with a thickened hilar region provided with a channel, 7.5-9.7 X 3.0-3.5 μm, Q = 2.34-2.95 (average[39]: 8.6 X 3.2 μm, Q = 2.70). Cheilo- and pleurocystidia scattered along the tube walls, ventricose, often slightly swollen at the apex. Pileipellis a thin cutis, with some hyphae having obscurely gelatinized walls, without clamp connections.

Chalciporus piperatus is is a relatively small bolete with an yellow orange to orange brown pileus and stipe. The pores are also orange yellow but take on a coppery hue at maturity or when bruised. The flesh is bright yellow and sharlply acrid in taste. Collection 15-09-19/06 has rather small basidiospores compared to those cited in the North American and European literature, reported to be up to 12 μm in length.

Photograph: D. Malloch (15-09-19/06).