Boletaceae

Boletaceae is a family of mushrooms, primarily characterized by holding their spores in small pores on the underside of the mushroom, instead of gills, as are found in agarics. Nearly as widely distributed as agarics, they include the Cep or King Bolete (Boletus edulis), much sought after by mushroom hunters. As a whole, the typical members of the family are commonly known as boletes.

Boletes are a relatively safe group of mushrooms for human consumption, as none are known to be deadly to adults, and they are the most sought after fungi for mushroom hunting. They are especially suitable for novice mushroom hunters, since there is little danger of confusing them with deadly mushrooms, like various Amanita agarics, which are the most poisonous mushrooms in the world. They are easily distinguished from agarics, and easily recognized for colour, pores and thick stems and caps.

Genera

Even after recent changes in taxonomy that have moved many members out of the Boletaceae, it remains a large family with many genera. Currently, 28 genera are recognized in Boletaceae.

Afroboletus, Aureoboletus, Austroboletus, Boletellus, Boletochaete, Boletus, Buchwaldoboletus, Chalciporus, Chamonixia, Fistulinella, Gastroboletus, Gastroleccinum, Gastrotylopilus, Leccinum, Paxillogaster, Phylloboletellus, Phylloporus, Pulverboletus, Royoungia, Setogyroporus, Singeromyces, Sinoboletus, Strobilomyces, Tubosaeta, Tylopilus, Veloporphyrellus, Xanthoconium, Xerocomus

Many other genera formerly part of this family have been moved into other, smaller families as work with molecular phylogeny shows that they are more distantly related, even if physically similar. Representative of this adjustment is the move of the slimy-capped genus Suillus to Suillaceae.

Distribution

Boletes are found worldwide, on every continent except Antarctica. Well-known and well-described in the temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere, newer research has shown significant diversity in tropical and southern hemisphere regions as well. E. J. H. Corner found evidence of at least 60 species on the island of Singapore alone. In 1972 he described 140 species from the Malay Peninsula and Borneo and estimated there were an equal number again to be found. Similar statements about the biodiverse richness of Australian Boletaceae have also been made.

Edibility

Many of the boletes are considered to be true culinary delicacies, especially King Bolete (cep, porcini) (Boletus edulis); the Scandinavian cuisine praises boletes. In the Finnish cuisine, the King Bolete is universally considered to be the tastiest culinary mushroom. A large number of boletes are delicious or at least edible. Poisonous or otherwise inedible species do exist, however, such as the unpalatable bitter species Boletus calopus and the aptly named Bitter bolete (Tylopilus felleus) with a taste compared to gall bladder juice, and some orange-capped species of Leccinum. As the bitter bolete resembles somewhat the king bolete, it can produce literally a bitter disappointment to the mushroom hunter! The rule of thumb is that bitter bolete has pink pores and brownish stem, while cep has whitish pale grey pores and stem. They also grow on different places and terrain. Peppery bolete (Chalciporus piperatus) has extremely strong taste, and has been used as ersatz for pepper.

Finnish cuisine uses boletes for various soups, sauces, casseroles and hotpots. They are sometimes also used as pizza filling, not unlike champignons, shiitake or portobellos.

Two of the best common edible boletes however are the Bay bolete (Boletus badius), whose pores bruise blue-green, and the orange birch bolete, which is a Leccinum with an orange cap and which bruises a bluish grey.

Several guidebooks recommend avoiding all red-pored boletes, however both B. erythropus and B. luridus are edible when well-cooked. However, there has been one recorded instance of death from Boletus pulcherrimus in 1994; a couple developed gastrointestinal symptoms after eating this fungus with the husband succumbing. Autopsy revealed infarction of the midgut. Boletus satanas has also long considered to be poisonous, though it has not been responsible for any deaths. The symptoms are predominantly gastrointestinal in nature. A glycoprotein, bolesatine, has been isolated. A similar compound bolevenine has been isolated from the poisonous Boletus venenatus of Japan.