Boletes
(Family Boletaceae)
Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy
Overview |
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Boletaceae is a family of mushroom-forming fungi called Boletes. It occurs worldwide on every continent including Antarctica. There are at least 1,055 species in 73 genera worldwide, several hundred species in at least 38 genera in North America north of Mexico, and at least 74 species in 25 genera in Minnesota. Boletes are found in forests, woodlands, and urban areas. Most grow on the ground. All but a few get their nutrients from the rootlets of trees in a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship (mycorrhizal). Most boletes are edible. Some are toxic and will cause gastrointestinal distress if eaten. No boletes are deadly to humans. |
Description |
Boletes are medium-sized to large, fleshy mushrooms. Most have a cap and a central stalk. Unlike agarics (Order Agaricales), boletes do not have gills. The pore surface is a sponge-like mass of tiny, tightly-packed tubes with spores on the inner walls of each tube. The tubes are vertical so that only their openings (pores) are visible. The tube layer can usually be peeled away cleanly from the cap. |
Distribution |
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Sources Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 8/26/2025). |
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| 8/26/2025 | ||
Taxonomy |
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Kingdom |
Fungi (fungi) |
Subkingdom |
Dikarya |
Phylum |
Basidiomycota (club fungi) |
Subphylum |
Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms) |
Class |
Agaricomycetes (mushrooms, bracket fungi, puffballs, and allies) |
Subclass |
Agaricomycetidae |
Order |
Boletales (boletes and allies) |
Suborder |
Boletineae |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Aureoboletus spp. Austroboletus spp. Baorangia spp. Boletellus spp. Boletus spp. (porcini and allies) Bothia spp. Buchwaldoboletus spp. Butyriboletus spp. (butter boletes) Caloboletus spp. (bitter boletes) Chalciporus spp. Chamonixia spp. Cyanoboletus spp. Exsudoporus spp. Gastroboletus spp. Gastroleccinum spp. Harrya spp. Heimioporus spp. Hemileccinum spp. Hortiboletus spp. Imleria spp. Lanmaoa spp. Leccinellum spp. Leccinum spp. Mucilopilus spp. Octaviania spp. Phylloporus spp. Porphyrellus spp. Pseudoboletus spp. Pulveroboletus spp. Retiboletus spp. Rubroboletus spp. Strobilomyces spp. Suillellus spp. Sutorius spp. Tylopilus spp. Xanthoconium spp. Xerocomellus spp. Xerocomus spp. |
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Synonyms |
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Boletogastraceae Chamonixiaceae Octavianiaceae Octavianinaceae Strobilomycetaceae Xerocomaceae |
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Common Names |
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Boletes |
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Visitor Photos |
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Seana |
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Paul |
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Beth Adams |
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found on grassy trail next to woods, very close to ground (very short stem). First pic is side view, second picture is essentially from above. firm on top, and on bottom it's almost like a thin "scar" formed over gills or pores? underneath. Thank you for any help you can provide! |
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Bobbi Johnson |
...currently sprouting in our yard |
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Kathryn Wallis |
Found on the SHT near Two Harbors. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
Boletaceae |
Болетові (Boletaceae) |
Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
Boletaceae mushroom compilation |
About
Sep 25, 2021 Mushroom huning in the local forest |
Visitor Sightings |
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| Paul 8/28/2023 |
Location: St. Cloud, MN (Benton County) |
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| Beth Adams 6/13/2023 |
Location: Washington County found on grassy trail next to woods, very close to ground (very short stem). First pic is side view, second picture is essentially from above. firm on top, and on bottom it's almost like a thin "scar" formed over gills or pores? underneath. Thank you for any help you can provide! |
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| John Valo 6/13/2023 |
This appears to be a bolete in the family Boletaceae. When young, the pore surface on the underside of the cap is covered with a partial veil. If you tear away part of the veil you will see pores if it is a bolete or gills if it is not. Either way, the species is hard to determine at this point in its development. Sorry I couldn’t be more definitive. |
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| Bobbi Johnson 10/6/2021 |
Location: Silver Bay, MN ...currently sprouting in our yard |
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Kathryn Wallis |
Location: Superior Hiking Trail Found on the SHT near Two Harbors. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 11/12/2021 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |