''Rubroboletus legaliae'', previously known as ''Boletus splendidus'', ''B. satanoides'', and ''B. legaliae'' is a

basidiomycete Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...

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

of the family Boletaceae. It is poisonous, with predominantly

gastrointestinal symptom Gastrointestinal diseases (abbrev. GI diseases or GI illnesses) refer to diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, namely the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum, and the accessory organs of digestion, the liver, g ...

s, and is related to ''

Rubroboletus satanas ''Rubroboletus satanas'', commonly known as Satan's bolete or the Devil's bolete, is a basidiomycete fungus of the bolete family (Boletaceae) and one of its most infamous members. It was known as ''Boletus satanas'' before its transfer to the ...

''. ''Boletus legaliae'' was described by Czech

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

Albert Pilát Albert Pilát (November 2, 1903 – May 29, 1974) was a Czech botanist and mycologist. He studied at the Faculty of Science at Charles University, under the guidance of Professor Josef Velenovský. In 1930, he joined the National Museum, eventuall ...

in 1968. It is named after the French mycologist

Marcelle Le Gal Marcelle may refer to: *Marcelle, a French feminine version of Marcel *1300 Marcelle (1934 CL), a main-belt asteroid *Groupe Marcelle, a Canadian cosmetics company See also * Marcel (disambiguation) * Marcell (disambiguation) Marcell may refer t ...

. It's uncommon in

Southern England Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes G ...

, and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, and grows with oak (''

Quercus An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...

'') and beech ('' Fagus'') often on neutral to acid soils. It is considered vulnerable in the Czech Republic. In Britain, all of the boletes in the ''Satanas'' group are either very rare, endangered, or extinct.

Description

The cap is initially off-white, or coffee-coloured at the button stage. In mid life it often (but not always) turns a pale mouse grey. In old age the cap turns reddish, or what has been described as 'old rose'. It may reach in diameter. The stipe is stocky, with a narrow red reticulation (net pattern) on an orange ground at the apex. This orange ground colour fades gradually towards the midsection, making the red reticulation more pronounced. At the base the reticulation is absent, and the stipe turns dark vinaceous. Sometimes the stipe detail can be faint, or even absent when covered with earth or leaf litter. The pores are initially red, but have an overall orange colour when mature, and they bruise blue. The flesh turns pale blue on cutting / dark vinaceous in the stipe base. Often this blueing process is very slow, sometimes taking a minute or so for the flesh to turn a light blue. In other situations, blueing is near-instant. The flesh is said to smell of chicory. ''Boletus splendidus'' as described by Charles-Édouard Martín in 1894 is a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

. The description of ''Boletus satanoides'' was too vague to be ascribed to any actual species. ''Boletus legaliae'' was transferred to the genus '' Rubroboletus'' in 2015 by Marco Della Maggiora and Renzo Trassinelli.

Occurrence in the UK

R. legaliae is an uncommon to rare species in the UK, commonly occurring in open woodland or parkland with plenty of sun on neutral-to-acidic soil. Assessed as 'Vulnerable' by the JNCC, it has a population of around 560 mature specimens. An unusual morph with bright yellow pores has been recorded from Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, sometimes growing alongside normal-pored variants.A.M. Ainsworth, J.H. Smith, L. Boddy, B.T.M. Dentinger, M. Jordan, D. Parfitt, H.J. Rogers & S.J. Skeates. 2013. Red List of Fungi for Great Britain: Boletaceae; A pilot conservation assessment based on national database records, fruit body morphology and DNA barcoding Species Status 14. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough. Rubroboletus legaliae with highly unusual yellow pores

Rubroboletus legaliae with highly unusual yellow pores

Similar species

'', found in broad-leaved woodland on calcareous soil, has a whiter cap that turns brownish-ochre, lacking the overall reddish tones in maturity. It has a more nauseating smell. Molecular study of the holotype of ''

Rubroboletus spinari ''Rubroboletus'' is a genus of bolete fungi in the family Boletaceae. It was circumscribed by Chinese mycologists in 2014 with '' Rubroboletus sinicus'' as the type species. Species are characterized by having a reddish cap surface, yellow tubes ...

'' has demonstrated its conspecifity with ''Rubroboletus legaliae''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2656745 Poisonous fungi legaliae Fungi of Europe Fungi described in 1968