''Strobilomyces strobilaceus'', also called ''Strobilomyces floccopus'' and commonly known as old man of the woods, is a species of

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

in the family

Boletaceae The Boletaceae are a family of mushroom-forming fungi, primarily characterised by small pores on the spore-bearing hymenial surface (at the underside of the mushroom), instead of gills as are found in most agarics. Nearly as widely distributed ...

. It is native to Europe and North America.

Fruit bodies The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life c ...

are characterized by very soft dark grey to black pyramidal and overlapping scales on the

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

surface.

Taxonomy and naming

''Strobilomyces strobilaceus'' is classified in the

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sign ...

''Strobilomyces'' of the genus ''

Strobilomyces ''Strobilomyces'' is a genus of boletes (mushrooms having a spongy mass of pores under the cap). The only well-known European species is the type species '' S. strobilaceus'' (also named ''S. floccopus''), known in English as "old man of the wood ...

''. Species in this section are characterized by having spores that may be either smooth or with short spines or warts, ridges or reticulations. The ornamentation is reduced or absent in the suprahilar region—a depressed area near the

hilar appendage Hilum may refer to: * Hilum (anatomy), a part of an organ where structures such as blood vessels and nerves enter the body * Hilum (botany), a scar on a seed or spore created by detachment See also * Fovea (disambiguation), another term associa ...

. It was first described scientifically by the Italian naturalist

Giovanni Antonio Scopoli Giovanni Antonio Scopoli (sometimes Latinized as Johannes Antonius Scopolius) (3 June 1723 – 8 May 1788) was an Italian physician and naturalist. His biographer Otto Guglia named him the "first anational European" and the "Linnaeus of the Au ...

in 1770 as a species of '' Boletus''.

Description

The

caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Ja ...

of the

fruit bodies The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life c ...

are between wide, with a convex shape and a villous, involute margin. The cap surface is covered with dark grey to black erect scales. The stipe is up to long and thick. It is coloured like the cap and has a woolly surface and a thick, ascending

annulus Annulus (or anulus) or annular indicates a ring- or donut-shaped area or structure. It may refer to: Human anatomy * ''Anulus fibrosus disci intervertebralis'', spinal structure * Annulus of Zinn, a.k.a. annular tendon or ''anulus tendineus co ...

. The pores on the underside of the cap are hexagonal, coloured dirty white or grey. The

flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...

is thick and initially white, but will stain pink and then

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

grey and black after exposure to the air. The dark brown to black

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual 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 plants, algae, ...

s are 9–15 by 8–12 μm, short elliptic and are covered with a mesh-like ornament.

Similar species

Strobilomyces confusus ''Strobilomyces'' is a genus of boletes (mushrooms having a spongy mass of pores under the cap). The only well-known European species is the type species '' S. strobilaceus'' (also named ''S. floccopus''), known in English as "old man of the wo ...

'' has a slightly smaller cap with smaller and stiff scales. Its spores have irregular ridges that resemble a partial mesh. The cap of ''

Strobilomyces dryophilus ''Strobilomyces'' is a genus of boletes (mushrooms having a spongy mass of pores under the cap). The only well-known European species is the type species '' S. strobilaceus'' (also named ''S. floccopus''), known in English as "old man of the wo ...

'' is coloured a dull grey-pink to pinkish-tan and produces spores with a complete mesh.

Habitat and distribution

''Strobilomyces strobilaceus'' is found solitary or in groups in

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

as well as

coniferous forests Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extan ...

in low mountain ranges and alpine areas of Europe, North America and Asia (Iran and Taiwan). It is less common in lowlands. The fungus appears between August and October and young specimens are edible. Its taste is regarded as great.

Postage stamp

On February 27, 2014, the postal administration of Switzerland issued a 50-centime

definitive Definitive may refer to: * ''Definitive'' (TV series), an American music television series * Definitive stamp, a postage stamp that is part of a regular issue of a country's stamps available for sale by the postal service See also * Definiten ...

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the ...

depicting ''Strobilomyces strobilaceus''.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q614730 Boletaceae Edible fungi Fungi of Asia Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Fungi described in 1770