Boletus rex-veris

Boletus rex-veris, commonly known as the spring king bolete, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus Boletus found in western North America. The large, edible fruiting bodies known as mushrooms 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, the size of the fruiting body is variable. Boletus rex-veris is edible, and may be preserved and cooked.

Boletus rex-veris
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Boletales
Family:	Boletaceae
Genus:	Boletus
Species:	B. rex-veris
Binomial name
Boletus rex-veris D.Arora and Simonini
Synonyms
Boletus pinophilus Boletus edulis

Boletus rex-veris Mycological characteristics
	Pores on hymenium
	Cap is convex
	Hymenium is adnexed
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is olive-brown
	Ecology is mycorrhizal
	Edibility is choice

For many years, Boletus rex-veris was considered a subspecies or form 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.^[1] Phylogenetic analysis has shown B. rex-veris as a member of a clade, or closely related group, with B. fibrillosus, B. pinophilus, B. subcaerulescens, B. subalpinus, and B. regineus.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Boletus rex-veris is found under pines (Pinus ponderosa, P. contorta subsp. murrayana) and firs (Abies concolor and Abies species) at elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 feet (910 to 2,130 m). 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 rex-veris

See also

• List of Boletus species

References

1. Arora D (2008) California porcini: three new taxa, observations on their harvest, and the tragedy of no commons. Archived 2012-03-12 at the Wayback Machine Economic Botany 62(3): 356–375.
2. Dentinger, Bryn T.M.; et al. (2010). "Molecular phylogenetics of porcini mushrooms (Boletus section Boletus)" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 57 (3): 1276–1292. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.10.004. PMID 20970511. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-23.