''Boletus'' is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi, comprising List of Boletus species, 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 gills. Since then, other genera have been defined gradually, such as ''Tylopilus'' by Petter Adolf Karsten in 1881, and old names such as ''Leccinum'' have been resurrected or redefined. Some mushrooms listed in older books as members of the genus have now been placed in separate genera. These include such as ''Boletus scaber'', now ''Leccinum scabrum'', ''Tylopilus felleus'', ''Chalciporus piperatus'' and ''Suillus luteus''. Most boletes have been found to be ectomycorrhizal fungi, which mean that they form a mutualistic relationship with the roots system of certain kinds of plants. More recently, ''Boletus'' has been found to be massively polyphyletic, with only a small percentage of the over 300 species that have been assigned to ''Boletus'' actually belonging there and necessitating the description and resurrection of many more genera.
Phylogenetic tree of ''Boletus''
source:
Edibility
The genus ''Boletus'' contains many members which are edible, such as ''Boletus edulis'', ''Boletus aereus'' and ''Boletus barrowsii''.
Boletes with red pores may be toxic.
See also
* Hypomyces chrysospermus, Bolete eater, a fungal parasite of various ''Boletus'' species
* List of Boletus species, List of ''Boletus'' species
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Boletus,
Boletales genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
