''Boletus rex-veris'', commonly known as the spring king bolete, 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, Ba ...

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 t ...

of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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 ...

'' found in western North America. The large, edible fruiting bodies known as

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

s appear under pine trees, generally in May to June. It has a pinkish to brownish cap and its stem is often large and swollen, and the overall colour may have an orange-red tinge. As with other

boletes {{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 surfa ...

, the size of the fruiting body is variable. ''Boletus rex-veris'' is edible, and may be preserved and cooked. For many years, ''Boletus rex-veris'' was considered a subspecies or

form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form also refers to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data ...

of the porcini mushroom '' B. edulis''. In 2008, a taxonomic revision of western North American populations of this species was published, formally establishing it as a distinct species, ''Boletus rex-veris''.

Phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analysis has shown ''B. rex-veris'' as a member of a clade, or closely related group, with '' B. fibrillosus'', '' B. pinophilus'', '' B. subcaerulescens'', ''

Gastroboletus subalpinus ''Boletus subalpinus'' is a species of fungus in the family Boletaceae. The species was first described scientifically in 1969 by American mycologists Harry Delbert Thiers and James M. Trappe. It is found in California and Oregon. It was origi ...

'', and '' B. regineus''.

Distribution and habitat

''Boletus rex-veris'' is found under pines ('' Pinus ponderosa'', ''P. contorta'' subsp. ''murrayana'') and firs (''

Abies concolor ''Abies concolor'', the white fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Cascade Range and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain ranges ...

'' and ''

Abies Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related t ...

'' species) at elevations of . It is often buried under needle duff and fruits from May to June in California. In Oregon it fruits at lower elevations, and its range continues into Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia.

Edibility

The ''Boletus rex-veris'' is edible and delicious. It has significant commercial value in areas where it fruits prolifically. Boletus

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2909370 rex-veris Fungi of North America Edible fungi

Distribution and habitat

Edibility

See also

References