Boletales

Taxobox
name = Boletales

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image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Boletus edulis"
regnum = Fungi
divisio = Basidiomycota
classis = Agaricomycetes
ordo = Boletales
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision =
Boletaceae

Boletinellaceae

Coniophoraceae

Diplocystaceae

Gasterellaceae

Gastrosporiaceae

Gomphidiaceae

Gyroporaceae

Hygrophoropsidaceae

Hymenogasteraceae

Leucogastraceae

Melanogastraceae

Octavianinaceae

Paxillaceae

Protogastraceae

Rhizopogonaceae

Sclerodermataceae

Suillaceae

The Boletales are an order of agaricomycetes, containing a large number of species with a diverse array of fruiting body types. The boletes are the best known members of this group, and until recently, the Boletales were thought to only contain boletes. The Boletales are now known to contain distinct groups of agarics, gasteromycetes, and other fruiting body types.

Taxonomy

The order Boletales originally was erected to describe boletes, however, based on and molecular phylogenetic characteristics, it has recently been established that a large number of non-bolete species belong to this group as well. The order also includes some gilled mushrooms, in the families Gomphidiaceae and Paxillaceae, which often have the same flesh texture as the Boletes, spore-bearing tissue which is also easily separable from the cap, and similar microscopic characteristics of spores and cystidia. Molecular phlyogenetic evidence has moved several other physically dissimilar groups into Boletales, including the Sclerodermataceae (earthballs) and the Rhizopogonaceae (false truffles).

New research shows the Sclerodermataceae, Boletinellaceae and Gyroporaceae appear to form a discrete group within the Boletales. Thus the boletes of "Gyrodon" and "Phlebopus" are more closely related to earthballs of "Scleroderma" than to "Boletus" [Binder M & Bresinsky A. (2002): Derivation of polymorphic lineage of Gasteromycetes from boletoid ancestors. "Mycologia" 94(1), 85-98] . Similarly, the bolete genus "Suillus" is more closely related to the agarics and false truffles of "Chroogomphus", "Gomphidius", and "Rhizopogon" than to "Boletus".Besl H, Bresinsky A. (1997). Chemosystematics of Suillaceae and Gomphidiaceae (suborder Suillineae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 206:223–242. ( [http://www.springerlink.com/content/k131222547463841/ abstract] )]

In some classification systems, a part of the family Boletaceae is separated off to form the family Strobilomycetaceae. [http://www.rsnz.org/publish/nzjb/1967/37.php McNabb R.F.R. (1967) The Strobilomycetaceae of New Zealand] gives a history of this smaller family.] [May, T.W., Milne, J., Wood, A.E., Shingles, S., Jones, R.H. & Neish, P. (2007). Interactive Catalogue of Australian Fungi. Version 2.0. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra / Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungi/cat/ [accessed 05 Feb 2007] .]

Ecology

The Boletales are largely ectomycorrhizal fungi, and hence are found mainly in or near woodlands. Certain species are parasitic rather than ectomycorrhizal. Members of the family Gomphidiaceae are thought to be parasitic upon members of the family Suillaceae; these relationships are often highly species-specific. Other parasitic boletes included "Boletus parasiticus" which grows on "Scleroderma citrinum". [cite book|author=Robinson R|year=2003|title=Fungi of the South West Forests|publisher=Department of Conservation & Land Management, Western Australia |id=ISBN 0-7307-5528-2] .

Edibility and Identification

Boletes are usually identified by having a sponge-like surface under the cap, instead of the usual gills. They come in a variety of colours such as Red, White, Brown and Grey. Many of the inedible boletes are either white or red, and these should be avoided during picking.

The genus "Boletus" contains many members which are edible and tasty, most notably, the "Boletus edulis" (Porcini) group, including "Boletus aereus" and "Boletus pinophilus", though many others are eaten as well, such as "Boletus badius". "Boletus edulis" and its relatives are of great commercial importance in Europe and North America. Species of "Suillus" are considered by many to be slimy and insipid, however, in Russia, they are often pickled and even sold commercially this way.

Many boletes, while non-toxic, are nonetheless bitter tasting and inedible.

The Paxillaceae contain a number of species that have been implicated in fatal poisonings. A few boletes are also highly toxic (though generally not deadly), notably the (fortunately fairly conspicuous) "Boletus satanas" and allies. Still, many mushroom hunters recommend that beginners start with boletes, since deadly mix-ups are far less likely than with agarics.

ee also

* List of bolete species

References

External links

* [http://americanmushrooms.com/boletes.htm "Boletes"] at AmericanMushrooms.com
* [http://www.mushroomexpert.com/boletales.html "The Boletes ('Boletales')"] by Michael Kuo, "MushroomExpert.Com", March 2005"
* [http://www.hti.umich.edu:80/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=fung1tc;cc=fung1tc;view=toc;idno=AGK0838.0001.001 "The Boletes of Michigan"] by Alexander H. Smith and Harry D. Thiers, 1971. (Full text monograph)