''Aureoboletus betula'' is a species of

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

producing

fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

in the family

Boletaceae The Boletaceae are a Family (biology), family of mushroom-forming fungi, primarily characterised by small pores on the spore-bearing hymenium, hymenial surface (at the underside of the mushroom), instead of Lamella (mycology), gills as are found ...

. It is commonly known as the shaggy-stalked bolete.

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1822 by the German-American mycologist

Lewis David de Schweinitz Lewis David de Schweinitz (13 February 1780 – 8 February 1834) was a German-American botanist and mycologist from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Considered the "Father of North American Mycology," he also made significant contributions to botany. ...

and classified as ''Boletus betula.'' It has been reclassified many times over the years. In 2004, the Austrian mycologist

Egon Horak Egon Horak (born Innsbruck in 1937) is an Austrian mycologist who has described more than 1000 species of fungi, including many from the Southern Hemisphere, particularly New Zealand and South America. He was an executive editor of the scientific ...

's classified it as ''Heimioporus betula''. In 2020, it was reclassified as ''Aureoboletus betula'' by the mycologists Michael Kuo and Beatriz Ortiz-Santana.

Etymology

The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

'betula', meaning

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

, does not an imply a preference for growing under birch trees but to their shaggy bark, which the stipe of this species is reminiscent of.

Description

The cap is wide, convex and broadening with age. It starts golden yellow, discolouring to brownish yellow or reddish orange. The texture is sticky and the flesh is yellow. There are 1–2 pores every millimetre with tubes that are 1.5 cm deep. They are bright yellow, turning greenish yellow with age. The stem is tall and 1–2 cm thick. It is distinctly textured with deep ridges and a slightly swollen and rooting base. The stem flesh is white, staining pink when exposed to air. The taste and smell are indistinct. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

are ellipsoid, measuring 16–24 x 7–12

μm The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...

. The

spore print 300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing warm orange ("tussock") color spore print. ...

is olive.

Similar species

Outside of its genus, it resembles '' Butyriboletus frostii'', which is relatively more red and squat.

Distribution and habitat

It is found under oaks, or in mixed woods of pine and oak, primarily in the southern

Appalachians The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, from July to September.

Edibility

This species is

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from " eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107506278

betula A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

Fungi of North America Taxa named by Lewis David de Schweinitz