Suede Bolete

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Suede Bolete is a nondescript, brown, medium-sized mushroom. It occurs in Europe, Asia, eastern Australia, and North America. In the United States it occurs east of the Great Plains and west of the Rocky Mountains. It is uncommon in Minnesota where it reaches the western extent of its eastern range. It is found in summer and fall alone, scattered, or in groups but not clustered (gregarious). It grows on the ground under or near hardwood and conifer trees. It is ectomycorrhizal, obtaining its nutrients from the rootlets of trees and providing neutral or positive feedback.

When it first appears, the cap is convex and brownish-yellow, brown, yellowish-brown, or olive brown. The upper surface is dry and is densely covered with short velvety hairs. The margins are turned inward. As it ages the cap expands and the margins are turned downward. Mature caps are broadly convex to almost flat, sometimes depressed in the middle, and 1½″ to 4″ (4 to 10 cm) in diameter, sometimes much larger. The margins are sometimes turned upward. The upper surface sometimes develops cracks creating block-like patches similar to dried mud (areolate).

The pore surface is bright yellow at first, becoming brownish-yellow or olive yellow at maturity. When bruised it may weakly turn blue or not change color at all. The pores are large and angular, with 1 to 3 pores per 1⁄32″ (1 mm). The pore tubes are ⅜″ to ¾″ (10 to 20 mm) deep.

The stalk is solid, tough, 1½″ to 3″ (4.0 to 7.5 cm) long, and ⅜″ to ¾″ (1 to 2 cm) thick. It may be tapered to the top, tapered to the bottom, or equal in width from top to bottom. There is no ring. Sources differ on the texture of the upper part of the stem. One writes that there is often a network of fine ridges (reticulate) due to the pore surfaces being pulled down the stalk (Mushrooms Demystified). Another writes that it is “often longitudinally ridged or somewhat reticulate” (California Fungi). A third writes that it is ribbed near the top but not reticulate (MushroomExpert.com).

The flesh is white to pale yellow. It usually turns pale blue when sliced. It is edible but the taste is mild and it is not much sought after.

The spore print is olive-brown.

Summer and fall

Sources

4, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Genus
This species was originally described as Boletus subtomentosus in 1753. In 1888 it was moved to the new genus Xerocomus, based on the velvety cap, but this was not widely accepted. A genetic analysis published in 2013 confirmed the move. Most sources, including Index Fungorum, MycoBank, and iNaturalist, now use the name Xerocomus subtomentosus. NatureServe and GBIF continue to use the name Boletus subtomentosus.

Species
As currently defined, Xerocomus subtomentosus is found in very different ecosystems where it is associated with very different trees. It is likely that there are a number of phylogenetically distinct species currently using that name.

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Location: St. Cloud, MN (Benton County)

Location: Duluth, MN