''Rubroboletus pulchrotinctus'' is a rare

bolete {{refimprove, date=July 2020 A bolete is a type of mushroom, or fungal fruiting body. It can be identified thanks to a unique mushroom cap. The cap is clearly different from the stem. On the underside of the cap there is usually a spongy su ...

fungus in the genus ''

Rubroboletus ''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 tub ...

'', native to central and southern

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 subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

. It was originally described in genus ''

Boletus ''Boletus'' is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi, comprising over 100 species. The genus ''Boletus'' was originally broadly defined and described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, essentially containing all fungi with hymenial pores instead of gil ...

'' by Italian mycologist

Carlo Luciano Alessio Carlo Luciano Alessio (1919–24 June 2006) was an Italian mycologist. He was known for his expertise in the agaric genera ''Inocybe'' and '' Boletus''. Species described *'' Rubroboletus pulchrotinctus'' Alessio (1985) *'' Hebelomina microspora'' ...

in 1985, but subsequently transferred to genus ''Rubroboletus'' by Zhao and colleagues (2015), on the basis of

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioch ...

evidence. Phylogenetically, ''R. pulchrotinctus'' is the sister-species of the better known '' Rubroboletus satanas'', with which it shares several morphological features. ''Rubroboletus pulchrotinctus'' forms

ectomycorrhizal An ectomycorrhiza (from Greek ἐκτός ', "outside", μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. ectomycorrhizas or ectomycorrhizae, abbreviated EcM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycob ...

associations with several members of the

Fagaceae The Fagaceae are a family of flowering plants that includes beeches, chestnuts and oaks, and comprises eight genera with about 927 species. Fagaceae in temperate regions are mostly deciduous, whereas in the tropics, many species occur as eve ...

, particularly species of oak species (''

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 ' ...

''). It is known from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

, as well as the

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and Crimean Peninsulas.Kasom G, Karadelev M. (2011). Preliminary checklist of the genus Boletus L. in Crna Gora (Montenegro). Nat Monten 10: 187–199. In the eastern

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

region, its distribution extends as south as

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, where it is found in Mount Carmel National Park and

Beit Oren Beit Oren ( he, בֵּית אֹרֶן, ''lit.'' 'Home of the Pine') is a kibbutz in northern Israel on Mount Carmel. It falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council. In its population was . Geography Beit Oren is in the heart ...

growing under the Palestine oak (''

Quercus calliprinos ''Quercus calliprinos'' is an oak classified as part of the '' Ilex'' section of the genus growing in the Mediterranean climate zone, mainly on limestone, in mid-elevations, often dominating the flora, alongside terebinths ('' Pistacia tere ...

'') and the island of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

, where it is found under the endemic golden oak (''

Quercus alnifolia ''Quercus alnifolia'', commonly known as the golden oak, is an evergreen oak species of Cyprus. Its common English name refers to the golden coloured lower surface of its leaves. ''Quercus alnifolia'' belongs to the endemic flora of the island ...

'').

References

pulchrotinctus Fungi described in 1985 Fungi of Europe Fungi of Western Asia {{Boletales-stub