Devil's bolete
Encyclopedia
Boletus satanas, commonly known as the Devil's bolete or Satan's mushroom, is a basidiomycete fungus
of the bolete family
. Found on chalky soil in mixed woodlands in the southern, warmer regions of Europe and North America, it is generally regarded as a poisonous mushroom
, with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea and vomiting occurring if eaten raw. However, reports of poisoning are rare due to its odd appearance and at times putrid smell minimising casual experimentation. There are reports of its traditional consumption in the former Czechoslovakia, Italy and San Francisco Bay Area
after thorough cooking.
The squat, brightly coloured fruiting bodies are large and imposing, with a pale dull-coloured velvety cap up to 30 cm (11.8 in) wide, blood red pores and bulbous red-patterned stalk. The flesh turns blue when cut or bruised. There is a smell of carrion
, more noticeable with age. It is the largest bolete growing in Europe
.
Harald Othmar Lenz in 1831, who gave it its sinister name, satanas 'of Satan
', derived from Hebrew via Ancient Greek
, after he felt ill from its "emanations" while describing it. He also knew of several reports of diarrhoea and sickness from those who had eaten it. American mycologist Harry D. Thiers
concluded that material from North America matches the species description, although some authorities have questioned this.
Both it and Boletus luridus
are known as ayimantari 'bear mushroom' in Eastern Turkey.
can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. At first it is hemispheric with an inrolled margin, later flattening in the shape of a pad, and in older specimens it is bent irregularly. When young, the pileus is greyish white, when older it tends more to a greenish ochre or leather colour.
The surface of the cap is finely tomentose
, becomes smooth later and often slightly sticky in wet weather. It does not peel. The free to slightly adnate tubes are up to 3 mm (⅛ in) long. At first they are pale yellow or greenish yellow before soon reddening and are already entirely purplish red or carmine before full maturity. The spore print
is olive green and spores are spindle-shaped and 10-16 μm long when viewed under a microscope. The stipe
is 5–12 cm (2–4¾ in) long and is often very bulbous (4–10 cm/1½–4 inches); usually it is wider than it is long and when young it is even almost spherical. It has a yellow background covered with a hexagonal close-meshed net that starts bright red and turns dark blood-red and which sometimes reaches to the yellowish base layer.
The flesh is whitish, though may be yellow to pale ochre when young. It slowly turns a faded blue colour when broken or bruised, although the stem bruises red. The smell is weak when the mushroom is young, but becomes putrid in older specimens, reminiscent of carrion. Young specimens reportedly have a pleasant nutty taste.
, occurring only on a few islands in the Baltic Sea
where the conditions are perfect, with highly calcareous
(chalky) soil. It has been recorded in the Black Sea and eastern Anatolia
regions of Turkey
. Also, it has been recorded from Iran. It has been recorded from coastal areas of California, with a possible record from the southeastern US, and could feasibly occur in the Pacific Northwest. It grows in hardwood forests, mainly under beech
(Fagus) in Europe, and oak
(Quercus) in North America. It appears in summer and the beginning of the autumn in the southernmost areas. It is rather rare in the north, as it grows only in hot and sunny periods. It fruits in autumn.
reported in 1953 that it is consumed in parts of Italy and the former Czechoslovakia
. Furthermore, some in the San Francisco Bay Area
report having eaten it regularly without ill effects. However, all agree it must always be cooked. Ramsbottom speculated that there may be a regional variation in the toxicity, and concedes it may not be as poisonous as widely reported. This has been echoed by some contemporary mycologists; Boletus satanas is rarely sampled casually due to its putrid smell and blue bruising.
Muscarine
has been isolated from fruiting bodies, but the quantities are believed to be far too small to account for its toxic effects. More recently, the glycoprotein
bolesatine has been isolated. Bolesatine is a protein synthesis inhibitor
, and, when given to mice, causes hepatic
blood stasis
and thrombosis
.
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
of the bolete family
Boletaceae
Boletaceae are a family of mushrooms, primarily characterized by developing their spores in small pores on the underside of the mushroom, instead of gills, as are found in agarics. Nearly as widely distributed as agarics, they include the Cep or King Bolete , much sought after by mushroom hunters...
. Found on chalky soil in mixed woodlands in the southern, warmer regions of Europe and North America, it is generally regarded as a poisonous mushroom
Mushroom poisoning
Mushroom poisoning refers to harmful effects from ingestion of toxic substances present in a mushroom. These symptoms can vary from slight gastrointestinal discomfort to death. The toxins present are secondary metabolites produced in specific biochemical pathways in the fungal cells...
, with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea and vomiting occurring if eaten raw. However, reports of poisoning are rare due to its odd appearance and at times putrid smell minimising casual experimentation. There are reports of its traditional consumption in the former Czechoslovakia, Italy and San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
after thorough cooking.
The squat, brightly coloured fruiting bodies are large and imposing, with a pale dull-coloured velvety cap up to 30 cm (11.8 in) wide, blood red pores and bulbous red-patterned stalk. The flesh turns blue when cut or bruised. There is a smell of carrion
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
, more noticeable with age. It is the largest bolete growing in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Taxonomy
Boletus satanas was described by German mycologistMycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
Harald Othmar Lenz in 1831, who gave it its sinister name, satanas 'of Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
', derived from Hebrew via Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
, after he felt ill from its "emanations" while describing it. He also knew of several reports of diarrhoea and sickness from those who had eaten it. American mycologist Harry D. Thiers
Harry D. Thiers
Harry Delbert Thiers, born January 22, 1919 in Fort McKavett, Texas, died August 8, 2000 in Ohio, was an American mycologist who studied and named a great many fungi of native to North America, particularly California. Thiers taught mycology at San Francisco State University for many years, and a...
concluded that material from North America matches the species description, although some authorities have questioned this.
Both it and Boletus luridus
Boletus luridus
Boletus luridus, commonly known as the lurid bolete, is a fungus of the bolete family, found in deciduous woodlands in Europe and eastern North America. Fruiting bodies arise in summer and autumn and may be common. It is a solid bolete with an olive-brown cap, orange pores and stout ochre stem...
are known as ayimantari 'bear mushroom' in Eastern Turkey.
Description
The compact capPileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. At first it is hemispheric with an inrolled margin, later flattening in the shape of a pad, and in older specimens it is bent irregularly. When young, the pileus is greyish white, when older it tends more to a greenish ochre or leather colour.
The surface of the cap is finely tomentose
Tomentose
Tomentose is a term used to describe plant hairs that are flattened and matted, forming a woolly coating known as tomentum. Often the hairs are silver or gray-colored...
, becomes smooth later and often slightly sticky in wet weather. It does not peel. The free to slightly adnate tubes are up to 3 mm (⅛ in) long. At first they are pale yellow or greenish yellow before soon reddening and are already entirely purplish red or carmine before full maturity. The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is olive green and spores are spindle-shaped and 10-16 μm long when viewed under a microscope. The stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
is 5–12 cm (2–4¾ in) long and is often very bulbous (4–10 cm/1½–4 inches); usually it is wider than it is long and when young it is even almost spherical. It has a yellow background covered with a hexagonal close-meshed net that starts bright red and turns dark blood-red and which sometimes reaches to the yellowish base layer.
The flesh is whitish, though may be yellow to pale ochre when young. It slowly turns a faded blue colour when broken or bruised, although the stem bruises red. The smell is weak when the mushroom is young, but becomes putrid in older specimens, reminiscent of carrion. Young specimens reportedly have a pleasant nutty taste.
Similar species
The Devil's bolete can be confused with other boletes such as:- B. erythropusBoletus erythropusBoletus luridiformis, formerly known as Boletus erythropus, is a wild mushroom of the bolete family, all of which have tubes and pores, instead of gills beneath their caps. It is found in Northern Europe, and North America, and is sometimes commonly known as the Dotted Stem Bolete...
- B. calopusBoletus calopusBoletus calopus, commonly known as the bitter beech bolete or scarlet-stemmed bolete, is a fungus of the bolete family, found in Northern Europe and North America. Appearing in coniferous and deciduous woodland in summer and autumn, the fruiting bodies are attractively coloured, with a reddish...
- B. luridusBoletus luridusBoletus luridus, commonly known as the lurid bolete, is a fungus of the bolete family, found in deciduous woodlands in Europe and eastern North America. Fruiting bodies arise in summer and autumn and may be common. It is a solid bolete with an olive-brown cap, orange pores and stout ochre stem...
- B. rhodoxanthusBoletus rhodoxanthusBoletus rhodoxanthus is a fungus of the genus Boletus. It is a rare, inedible bolete found in warm deciduous forests of southern Europe mainly under oak and beech, on chalky soil.-Description:...
- B. legaliaeBoletus legaliaeBoletus legaliae, previously known as B. splendidus or B. satanoides, is a basidiomycete fungus of the boletaceae family. It is poisonous, with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms, and is related to Boletus satanas.-Taxonomy:...
(= B. splendidus) - B. torosus
Distribution and habitat
The Devil's bolete is found in the entire temperate zone, but in Europe it definitely occurs more in southern regions. It is only found in the south of England. It is rare in ScandinaviaScandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, occurring only on a few islands in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
where the conditions are perfect, with highly calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
(chalky) soil. It has been recorded in the Black Sea and eastern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
regions of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Also, it has been recorded from Iran. It has been recorded from coastal areas of California, with a possible record from the southeastern US, and could feasibly occur in the Pacific Northwest. It grows in hardwood forests, mainly under beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
(Fagus) in Europe, and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
(Quercus) in North America. It appears in summer and the beginning of the autumn in the southernmost areas. It is rather rare in the north, as it grows only in hot and sunny periods. It fruits in autumn.
Toxicity
The Devil's bolete is poisonous, especially when eaten raw, but also when cooked. The symptoms, which are predominantly gastrointestinal in nature, include violent vomiting, which can last up to six hours. However, English mycologist John RamsbottomJohn Ramsbottom (mycologist)
John Ramsbottom was a British mycologist.He was Keeper of Botany at the British Museum . He served as general secretary and twice as president of the British Mycological Society, and was long editor of its Transactions. He was president of the Linnean Society from 1937 to 1940 and was awarded...
reported in 1953 that it is consumed in parts of Italy and the former Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. Furthermore, some in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
report having eaten it regularly without ill effects. However, all agree it must always be cooked. Ramsbottom speculated that there may be a regional variation in the toxicity, and concedes it may not be as poisonous as widely reported. This has been echoed by some contemporary mycologists; Boletus satanas is rarely sampled casually due to its putrid smell and blue bruising.
Muscarine
Muscarine
Muscarine, L--muscarine, or muscarin is a natural product found in certain mushrooms, particularly in Inocybe and Clitocybe species, such as the deadly C. dealbata. Mushrooms in the genera Entoloma and Mycena have also been found to contain levels of muscarine which can be dangerous if ingested...
has been isolated from fruiting bodies, but the quantities are believed to be far too small to account for its toxic effects. More recently, the glycoprotein
Glycoprotein
Glycoproteins are proteins that contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to polypeptide side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as glycosylation. In proteins that have segments extending...
bolesatine has been isolated. Bolesatine is a protein synthesis inhibitor
Protein synthesis inhibitor
A protein synthesis inhibitor is a substance that stops or slows the growth or proliferation of cells by disrupting the processes that lead directly to the generation of new proteins....
, and, when given to mice, causes hepatic
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
blood stasis
Blood stasis
Blood stasis syndrome, or blood stagnation is an important underlying pathology of many disease processes according to traditional Chinese medicine...
and thrombosis
Thrombosis
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel is injured, the body uses platelets and fibrin to form a blood clot to prevent blood loss...
.