Greetings fellow Foxies,
Boletes are fleshy fungi with a central stalk like agarics (mushrooms toadstools) but the underside has pores instead of gills. Polypores have pores like boletes but are generally tough or leathery fungi that usually arise from wood.
Boletes are fleshy fungi with a central stalk like agarics (mushrooms toadstools) but the underside has pores instead of gills. Polypores have pores like boletes but are generally tough or leathery fungi that usually arise from wood.
 An agaric. Cortinarius species |  Salmon gum bolete |  A polypore: Pycnoporus coccinea (Scarlet Bracket Fungus) |
In early winter the giant salmon gum bolete Phlebopus marginatus pops up amongst trees down from the picnic area at the arboretum. The similar but slightly smaller Slippery Jack bolete Suillus luteus occurs next to it. This is an import that forms mycorrhizae on the adjoining pine trees. It is apparently a delicacy in Italy, but must be peeled and cooked ( looks ghastly as a food item to me). Only once I found the beautiful Rhubarb Bolete Boletellus obscurecoccineus near the claypit.
 Salmon gum bolete Australia's largest 'mushroom' |  Slippery Jack |  Rhubarb Bolete |
Salmon gum bolete goblin ring in good years rings of salmon gum bolete form around trees that they are associated with in the arboretum. I call them goblin rings because they are too big for fairies
There are still lots of boletes that remain unnamed, and many boletes change colour ('stain') when bruised or cut.The one below is a blue stainer. Yellow pores and white flesh turn blue when cut or bruised.
First nations people used to eat these fungi.
 Blue Stainer bolete intact |  Underside |  Cut section has stained blue |
This june the large one below popped up and covered a mallee seedling I was watering at the Marri picnic area. The stem turned reddish brown and the pores rapidly turned blue when cut. I have heard of red-blue stainers, perhaps it is one.
 Top |  Underside note blue stain on pores reddish stain on stem |  Closeup of stained pore tissue |