Bolete Mushrooms
Academic dispute regarding bolete classification exists, and for present purposes, the term is used rather loosely to refer to mushrooms with pores rather than gills under the cap. The listed gill bolete is the exception to the rule.
Many species, Boletus Edulis or King Bolete, for example, are prized for their edibility. However, it would be a gastric mistake to assume that all boletes are edible.
Most people associate boletes with the boletus genus, and most of the mushroom species listed in the box fit that description. The Leccinum and Suillus listings refer to separate bolete genera.
With well over one hundred different boletus species in the United States, field identification can be difficult.
The majority of bolete species are found in the Midwest and East and the listed species represent a small sample of West Coast species.
The information is presented for comparative purposes only, and no one guide or picture should serve as a basis for picking and eating any wild mushroom.
For beginning mushroom enthusiasts, the best suggestion would be to refrain from eating any wild mushrooms. Take a picture, it will help you last longer.
© 2007-2009 Patricia A. Michaels