''Suillus grevillei'', commonly known as Greville's bolete, tamarack jack, or larch bolete, is a

mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, mycorrhiza or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant ...

l mushroom with a tight, brilliantly coloured cap, shiny and wet looking with its mucous slime layer. The

hymenium The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some ...

easily separates from the flesh of the cap, with a central

stalk Stalk or stalking may refer to: Behaviour * Stalk, the stealthy approach (phase) of a predator towards its prey * Stalking, an act of intrusive behaviour or unwanted attention towards a person * Deer stalking, the pursuit of deer for sport Biol ...

that is quite slender. The species has a

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

or a tight-fitting annular zone.

Description

''Suillus grevillei'' is a mushroom with a 5–10 cm (2–4 in) cap colored from citrus yellow to burnt orange, that is at first hemispherical, then bell-shaped, and finally flattened. It has a sticky skin, often with veil remnants on the edge, short tubes of yellow (possibly staining brownish) which descend down to the bottom of its cylindrical stalk (6–10 x 1–2 cm), which is yellowish above the

area with streaks of reddish brown below. The flesh is yellow, staining brown. The thin meat has consistency at first but then quickly becomes soft. It has an odor reminiscent of rumpled ''

Pelargonium ''Pelargonium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. '' Geranium'' is also the botanical name and common name of a separ ...

'' geranium leaves. It grows in the soil of mixed forests, not always at the foot of larch (can be quite some distance away) with which it lives in symbiosis. It grows from June until November. ''Suillus grevillei'' is an

edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi (fungi which bear fruiting structures that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye). They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground ...

(without consistency nor flavor) if the slimy cuticle is removed off the cap. This mucousy skin layer is what is known to cause intestinal issues, as is the case with several other ''Suillus'' such as Slippery Jack (''S. luteus'') or Jill (''S. salmonicolor''); often considered to be not worth the work. Its name is derived from Robert Kaye Greville.natura.provincia.cuneo.it (In italian)
accessed 5 August 2008

Habitat and distribution

Grows only under larch trees. Widespread in North America and Europe. In Asia, it has been recorded from Taiwan.

Chemistry

The fungus produces grevillin which is characteristic of this fungus. The genetic and enzymatic basis for atromentin, the precursor to various pulvinic acid-type pigments, has been characterized (an atromentin synthetase by the name, GreA). A cosmid library (31 249 bp in total) has been made from the genome. The estimated gene density based on the cosmid library is 1 per 3900 bp of genomic DNA. The genome has a GC content of 49.8%.

References

Works in French

* Régis Courtecuisse, Bernard Duhem : ''Guide des champignons de France et d'Europe'' (Delachaux & Niestlé, 1994-2000). * Marcel Bon : ''Champignons de France et d'Europe occidentale'' (Flammarion, 2004) * Dr Ewaldt Gerhardt : ''Guide Vigot des champignons'' (Vigot, 1999) - * Roger Phillips : ''Les champignons'' (Solar, 1981) - * Thomas Laessoe,

Anna Del Conte Anna Del Conte (born 1925) is an Italian-born British food writer whose works cover the history of food as well as providing recipes. Resident in England since 1949, she has been influential in raising the country’s awareness of Italian cuisin ...

: ''L'Encyclopédie des champignons'' (Bordas, 1996) - * Peter Jordan, Steven Wheeler : ''Larousse saveurs - Les champignons'' (Larousse, 1996) - * G. Becker, Dr L. Giacomoni, J Nicot, S. Pautot, G. Redeuihl, G. Branchu, D. Hartog, A. Herubel, H. Marxmuller, U. Millot et C. Schaeffner : ''Le guide des hampignons'' (Reader's Digest, 1982) - * Henri Romagnesi : ''Petit atlas des champignons'' (Bordas, 1970) -

External links