''Imperator luteocupreus'' is a species of bolete fungus in the family Boletaceae. It is native to southern Europe, where it is found under chestnut (''

Castanea The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nut (fruit), nuts they produce. Th ...

'') and oak ('' Quercus''). Although it was originally described in genus '' Boletus'', it was placed in the new genus ''

Imperator The Latin word ''imperator'' derives from the stem of the verb la, imperare, label=none, meaning 'to order, to command'. It was originally employed as a title roughly equivalent to ''commander'' under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part o ...

'' in 2015, based on phylogenetic inferences. Mycologists Paul Bertéa and Alain Estadès described this species as ''Boletus luteocupreus'' in 1990. The type specimen had been collected by Estadès in 1986 from the

Lachau Lachau () is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department The following is a list of the 363 communes of the Drôme department of France. The communes cooperate in the ...

commune in the Drôme department of southeastern France. In a

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 bioche ...

analysis of Boletaceae phylogeny, ''Boletus luteocupreus'' was most closely related to '' B. torosus''; these two species formed a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

that was sister to '' B. luridus''. Genetic analysis published in 2013 showed that ''B. luteocupreus'' and many (but not all) red-pored boletes were part of a ''dupainii'' clade (named for '' B. dupainii''), well-removed from the core group of '' Boletus edulis'' (the type species of genus ''Boletus'') and relatives within the

Boletineae The Boletineae are a suborder of the fungal order Boletales. Families in the Boletineae include the Boletaceae and the Paxillaceae. Taxa *Paxillaceae **''Alpova'' **''Austrogaster'' **'' Gyrodon'' **''Hydnomerulius'' **'' Meiorganum'' **'' Mel ...

. This indicated that ''B. luteocupreus'' and its relatives needed to be placed in a new genus. It was placed in the new genus ''

'', becoming ''Imperator luteocupreus'', in 2015. The yellowish cap is up to in diameter and marked with orange spots. Hemispherical when young, it extends and flattens into a convex shape. The surface texture starts slightly velvety, becoming smoother with age. The pores on the cap underside are red, while the bulbous stipe yellow overlain with a prominent red net-like pattern, and measures up to high by thick. The flesh is thick and hard. It is yellow, except for the stipe base where it is deep red. It has an acidic taste. The smell is indistinct. All parts of the mushroom stain a deep blue when cut or bruised. It resembles ''

Imperator torosus ''Imperator torosus'', commonly known as the brawny bolete, is a species of bolete fungus in the family Boletaceae. It is native to southern Europe east to the Caucasus and Israel. It is generally associated with deciduous trees such as hornbea ...

'' but can be distinguished by its red (rather than yellow) pores. ''Imperator luteocupreus'' occurs in the Canary Islands, Menorca, Cyprus, Serbia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Sicily, Corsica, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Bulgaria, where it is rare. It may also be present in Greece and Switzerland. It grows under oak ('' Quercus''). It grows under sweet chestnut ('' Castanea sativa'') in Bulgaria.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q10432400 Fungi described in 1990 Fungi of Europe Boletaceae Fungi of the Canary Islands Fungus species