Leccinum manzanitae
Encyclopedia
Leccinum manzanitae is an edible
species of fungus
in the Boletaceae
family of mushroom
s. Commonly known as the Manzanita bolete for its association with Manzanita
trees, it is recognized by its reddish to brown cap
and tough stem with small black scales known as scabers.
is 2 – thick, white when first exposed, but slowly and irregularly changing to dark brownish-gray with no reddish intermediate state. The change in color upon bruising or injury is often more pronounced in young specimens. The tubes are 1 – long, with an adnate attachment to the stem; their color is pale olive when young, which darkens when bruised. The pores are up to 1 mm in diameter, angular, and the same color as the tubes. The stem
is 10 – long, and 1.5 – thick at the apex, and either club-shaped or swollen in the middle. It is solid, with a dry surface, and covered with conspicuous scales or fibrils. The stem scales are usually pallid when young, but dark to near dark brownish-grey with age. The flesh
is white, slowly staining dark brownish-gray in the upper portion when exposed, sometimes staining blue close to the base. The spore print
is cinnamon-brown.
Microscopic characteristics
The spores are 13–17 by 4–5.5 µm
, fusoid to subellipsoid to subcylindrical; walls smooth and moderately thick. The spore-bearing cells, the basidia, are 27–32 by 6–9 µm, club-shaped to pyriform and 4-spored. The cystidia comprising the hymenium
are 23–32 by 4–6 µm, fusoid to club-shaped with narrow, elongated apices. Clamp connection
s are absent in the hypha
e of this species.
. In North America, it is commonly found from Central California to southern Oregon.
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
species of fungus
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...
in the Boletaceae
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...
family of mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s. Commonly known as the Manzanita bolete for its association with Manzanita
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...
trees, it is recognized by its reddish to brown cap
Pileus (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...
and tough stem with small black scales known as scabers.
Taxonomy
This species was first described by American mycologist Harry Delbert Thiers in 1971. In California, it is known locally as the manzanita bolete due to its close association with manzanita trees.Description
The cap is 7 – in diameter, spherical to convex when young, and broadly convex to flattened or cushion-shaped (pulvinate). The cap surface is often shallowly to deeply pitted or reticulate, sticky, and covered with pressed-down hairs that are more conspicuous toward the edge of the cap. The cap color is dark red during all stages of development. The fleshTrama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is 2 – thick, white when first exposed, but slowly and irregularly changing to dark brownish-gray with no reddish intermediate state. The change in color upon bruising or injury is often more pronounced in young specimens. The tubes are 1 – long, with an adnate attachment to the stem; their color is pale olive when young, which darkens when bruised. The pores are up to 1 mm in diameter, angular, and the same color as the tubes. The stem
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 10 – long, and 1.5 – thick at the apex, and either club-shaped or swollen in the middle. It is solid, with a dry surface, and covered with conspicuous scales or fibrils. The stem scales are usually pallid when young, but dark to near dark brownish-grey with age. The flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
is white, slowly staining dark brownish-gray in the upper portion when exposed, sometimes staining blue close to the base. 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 cinnamon-brown.
Microscopic characteristics
The spores are 13–17 by 4–5.5 µm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
, fusoid to subellipsoid to subcylindrical; walls smooth and moderately thick. The spore-bearing cells, the basidia, are 27–32 by 6–9 µm, club-shaped to pyriform and 4-spored. The cystidia comprising the hymenium
Hymenium
The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia or...
are 23–32 by 4–6 µm, fusoid to club-shaped with narrow, elongated apices. Clamp connection
Clamp connection
A clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...
s are absent in the hypha
Hypha
A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...
e of this species.
Variants
Thiers also described the variant species L. manzanitae var. angustisporae which has spores that are smaller, typically 3–4 µm wide and 1–2 µm longer.Similar species
Leccinum ponderosum also has a dark red viscid cap, but its flesh does not darken upon exposure, and the cap is smooth when young. Leccinum armeniacum also associates with manzanita and madrone, but its cap is more orange.Habitat and distribution
Leccinum manzanitae grows solitary to scattered in soil under madrone and manzanitaManzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...
. In North America, it is commonly found from Central California to southern Oregon.