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Key to Illinois Boletes  


This key to the boletes of Illinois was developed by Andrew Methven, Professor of Mycology at Eastern Illinois University



1.Stipe lateral to eccentric; tubes decurrent, pores radially elongated; basidiospores subglobose to broadly ellipsoid; associated with Fraxinus.

1.Stipe more or less central; pores not radially elongated.
2

 2.Pileus subviscid, bright yellow; partial veil floccose, sulphur-yellow; stipe yellow-green from remnants of partial veil.

 2.Partial veil not as above; basidiocarps differently colored.
3

3.Pileus hairy or coarsely fibrillose-scaly, grayish purple to purplish black; pores and tubes initially pallid, staining reddish when injured, then black; partial veil floccose, leaving an annulus or annular zone on the stipe; basidiospores black in mass, globose, warty to reticulate.
33

3.Not with the above combination of characters.
4

 4.Stipe scabrous roughened to punctate, ornamentation initially white to pinkish grey, then dark gray or black; pileus usually dry and velvety, reddish-orange, gray-brown or pale grey.
31

 4.Not as above.
5

5.Basidiocarps with any two of the following features:
    a. Pileus viscid to slimy.
    b. Partial veil present.
    c. Stipe glandular dotted.
    d. Basidiospores dingy cinnamon to clay color in mass.
    e. Hymenial cystidia clustered, reddish brown in KOH.
34

5.Basidiocarps without two of the above features.
6

 6.Pores initially white, then pale yellow; basidiospores yellow in mass, globose; stipe typically hollow.
29

 6.Pores not pale yellow at maturity; basidiospores pinkish brown, olive-brown or brown in mass, boletoid; stipe solid.
7

7.Pores initially white to pale grey, then pink to pinkish brown; basidiospores pink to pinkish brown in mass; pileus typically glabrous and unpolished or velvety.
40

7.Pores not pinkish brown in color; basidiospores olive-brown to brown in mass.
8

 8.Basidiospores brown in mass, ornamented with longitudinal ridges; pores bright yellow.
9

 8.Basidiospores olive-brown in mass, smooth; pores initially white, yellow or red.
11

Boletellus:

9.Stipe squamulose-furfuraceous to scurfy, 2-10 cm long, apex yellow, dull red below.
10

9.Stipe lacerate-reticulate, 10-20 cm long, dull reddish brown overall.

 10.Pileus dark brown, 3-6 cm diam; stipe squamulose-furfuraceous, 2-5 cm long; associated with Quercus.
B. chrysenteroides

 10.Pileus dark red, 5-10 cm diam; stipe scurfy, 5-10 cm long; associated with Fagus.

Boletus:

11.Pores initially orange, red-orange or red.
12

11.Pores not orange or red.
16

 12.Stipe not reticulate, yellow at apex, dark red at base; pileus yellow-brown to red-brown.

 12.Stipe reticulate; basidiocarps not colored as above.
13

13.Pileus dark red.
14

13.Pileus yellow to clay color or golden orange to chrome yellow.
15

 14.Stipe coarsely reticulate; pileus viscid; flesh and/or tubes not staining blue.
B. frostii
At Macrofungi of Costa Rica

 14.Stipe finely reticulate; pileus dry; flesh and/or tubes staining blue.
B. rubroflammeus

15.Stipe 2-3 cm diam, yellow above, red below; pileus yellow to clay color; flesh and/or tubes staining blue.
B. luridus*
At Fungi of Poland

15.Stipe up to 15 mm diam, bright golden orange to chrome yellow; pileus golden orange to chrome yellow; flesh and/or tubes not staining blue.
B. auriflammeus

 16.Stipe reticulate, at least at the apex.
17

 16.Stipe smooth to pruinose.
20

17.Pileus viscid, bright yellow.

17.Pileus not colored as above.
18

 18.Pileus and stipe pale grey to pale yellow-brown; stipe finely reticulate at the apex; pores pale yellow.

 18.Pileus and stipe not colored as above; reticulations coarse, broadly spaced or both.
19

19.Pileus pinkish cinnamon to cinnamon, green with NH4OH; reticulation coarse with large spaces between the ridges.

19.Pileus greyish brown to olive-brown, not green with NH4OH; reticulation coarse with small inner ridges.

 20.Flesh and/or tubes staining blue.
21

 20.Flesh and/or tubes not staining blue.
25

21.Stipe 1-3 cm diam; pileus and stipe deep red; pores bright yellow.

21.Stipe 5-10 (15) mm diam; basidiocarps not colored as above.
22

 22.Basidiospores 5-7 um diam.
23

 22.Basidiospores 3.5-5 um diam.
24

23.Pores large (1-2 mm diam); basal mycelium white.
B. fraternis

23.Pores small (1-2 per mm); basal mycelium yellow.

 24.Stipe red; basal mycelium white.
B. rubeus*

 24.Stipe yellow at apex, red below; basal mycelium yellow.

25.Basidiocarps parasitic on Scleroderma.

25.Basidiocarps not parasitic on Scleroderma.
26

 26.Pileus glabrous, dry, rugose or uneven, areolate at maturity; stipe furfuraceous.

 26.Basidiocarps not as above.
27

27.Pores bright yellow; stipe often viscid at the base.

27.Pores not bright yellow.
28

 28.Pileus and stipe pale grey to pale yellow-brown; pores pale yellow.

 28.Pileus yellow-brown to olive-brown, often spotted; pores initially white to pale grey.

Gyroporus:

29.Flesh of stipe and pileus staining blue on exposure.

29.Flesh of stipe and pileus not staining blue on exposure.
30

 30.Pileus and stipe dark vinaceous-red.

 30.Pileus and stipe chestnut brown.

Leccinum:

31.Pileus white to grayish yellow; stipe less than 10 mm diam; stipe ornamentation scarcely discoloring.
L. albellum*

31.Not as above.
32

 32.Pores initially white; pileus grayish brown to dark brown, areolate at maturity.
L. griseum*

 32.Pores initially yellow; pileus yellow-brown to orange-brown, coarsely wrinkled.

Strobilomyces:

33.Basidiospores with reticulate ornamentation; pileus covered with large, wooly, appressed scales or squamules.

33.Basidiospores warty to echinulate; pileus with erect, acute, cone-shaped scales.
S. confusus
At Macrofungi of Costa Rica

Suillus:

 34.Basidiospores globose to subglobose; partial veil thick, tough, gelatinous; stipe lacking glands.

 34.Basidiospores fusoid, ellipsoid or ovoid; partial veil not as above.
35

35.Partial veil present, leaving a distinct annulus on the stipe or adhering to the pileus margin as a cottony roll.
36

35.Partial veil lacking.
39

 36.Partial veil leaving an annulus or annular zone on the stipe.
37

 36.Partial veil adhering to the pileus margin as a cottony zone.
38

37.Stipe 5-10 mm diam; pileus pale cinnamon; annulus floccose, undersurface not pale lavender.
S. acidus

37.Stipe 1-2.5 cm diam; pileus reddish brown; annulus membranous, undersurface pale lavender.

 38.Stipe up to 10 mm diam, with conspicuous glandular dots; pileus and stipe bright yellow.

 38.Stipe 10-15 mm diam, lacking glandular dots; pileus pale cinnamon or dull brown, neither the pileus nor stipe bright yellow.
S. albidipes

39.Stipe with conspicuous glandular dots; pileus initially white, then yellow to grey-brown; associated with 5-needle pines.

39.Stipe lacking glandular dots; pileus initially brown, paler at maturity; associated with 2- and 3-needle pines.

Tylopilus:

 40.Basidiospores pinkish brown in mass; basidiocarps not staining blue-green.
41

 40.Basidiospores reddish brown to chocolate brown in mass; pileus brown to dark brown; stipe not reticulate; pores white to pale grey, staining blue-green; basidiocarps staining waxed paper blue-green.

41.Pileus sooty brown, chocolate brown or black; pores white to pale pinkish brown, staining black; stipe pale gray to black.

41.Basidiocarps not as above.
42

 42.Pileus dull orange to bright orange; stipe yellow to orange; pores staining smoky brown.

 42.Basidiocarps not as above.
43

43.Pileus pinkish brown to greyish brown; stipe pale red at apex, chrome yellow at base.

43.Basidiocarps not as above.
44

 44.Taste mild; pileus dingy cinnamon to dull cinnamon; stipe finely reticulate at apex.

 44.Taste bitter.
45

45.Stipe not reticulate; pileus dark purple brown to cinnamon brown.

45.Stipe reticulate.
46

 46.Pileus pale tan to pale cinnamon; stipe pale yellow above, brownish below.

 46.Pileus and stipe initially dull violet, then cinnamon brown to lavender brown.
T. plumbeoviolaceus


* = Taxa not yet collected in Illinois, although they have been collected in the "border" states and may yet be found in Illinois.


Adapted for the Web by Michael Kuo.

Cite this page as:

Methven, A. S. (2003, January). Key to Illinois boletes. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/methven_01.html

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