Corvus Posted July 19, 2022 Report Share Posted July 19, 2022 Found on the ground of a forest of hemlock/yellow birch/maple trees in central WI. Lots of previous rainfall. Found last Wednesday, July 14. Spore print didn't work too well (too much moisture) but it looks light brown. Pores turning yellowish in last pic. Perhaps brown birch bolete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted July 19, 2022 Report Share Posted July 19, 2022 Yes, it's one of the gray "Birch Bolete" species. In NA these are not well documented, although there are a few names accepted by mycologists. Genus Leccinum in NA is currently being studied. Leccinum snellii has a more-or-less solid gray cap surface (like the one seen in the photos). If you vertically section a L. snellii bolete then the flesh in the base of the stalk stains bluish and the flesh where the stalk joins the cap turns pink. L. variicolor has a similar staining pattern as L. snellii, except the cap is usually darker gray and/or mottled with pale areas. I'm not sure if L. variicolor has been verified as occurring in NA. L. holopus has a very pale cap and the cap surface (and other parts) tends to stain greenish. There are a few varieties of L. holopus that are characterized by color and/or staining pattern. The gray-capped non-staining ones (with pore surface that may bruise light brown) are ones that --to my knowledge-- have not been classified in NA. In Europe, I believe the name Leccinum scabrum applies to one taxon. The above are all birch associates. One way to classify them is by "section"... ie. Leccinum section Scabra. Actually, to be more accurate it's "Leccinum subsection Scabra." However, in most discussions people drop the "sub". Another similar species that does not fit in with section Scabra is Leccinum/Leccinellus albellum. This is an oak associate that has whitish to grayish cap and does not stain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvus Posted July 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2022 Thanks Dave for all of that invaluable info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOHNY Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 If I found that on my property just north of the the Ontario/Minnesota border, I would call it a Birch or Grey Leccinum. I get lots of them from late July until early September. Tasty when fried. I'm guessing from the red/white check, Italian table cloth, that you ate this one? As always, it is your decision to eat--or not--any species of mushroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvus Posted July 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2022 @JOHNY Haha I did not eat this mushroom. I would never eat anything unless I am 100% sure it is not poisonous. The table cloth is because I went camping for a week and brought all of my mushroom finds back to the campsite/picnic table to get spore prints and pictures. I will have to try this shroom next time I find it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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