Strobilomycetaceae is a family of fleshy pore-bearing fungi in the order Boletales

Boletales

The Boletales are an order of Agaricomycetes, containing over 1300 species with a diverse array of fruiting body types. The boletes are the best known members of this group, and until recently, the Boletales were thought to only contain boletes...

, first defined by E. J. Gilbert in 1931.

However it is not recognized in all systems of classification; those authorities which do not regard this group of mushrooms as a separate family assign them to 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...

.
Originally Strobilomycetaceae just consisted of the type genus Strobilomyces

Strobilomyces

Strobilomyces is a genus of boletes . The only well-known European species is the type species S. strobilaceus Strobilomyces is a genus of boletes (mushrooms having a spongy mass of pores under the cap). The only well-known European species is the type species S. strobilaceus Strobilomyces is a...

and the genus Boletellus

Boletellus

Boletellus is a genus of fungi in the family Boletaceae. The genus has a widespread distribution, especially in subtropical regions, and contains about 50 species. The genus was first described by American mycologist William Alphonso Murrill in 1909...

. Later the work of Rolf Singer

Rolf Singer

Rolf Singer was a German-born mycologist and one of the most important taxonomists of gilled mushrooms in the 20th century....

 gained more acceptance for the family and added Porphyrellus

Porphyrellus

Porphyrellus is a genus of fungi belonging to the Boletaceae family.-Species:*Porphyrellus alboater*Porphyrellus alveolatus*Porphyrellus amylosporus*Porphyrellus atrafuscus*Porphyrellus atrobrunneus*Porphyrellus brunneus...

and also Phylloboletellus

Phylloboletellus

Phylloboletellus is a genus of fungi in the Boletaceae family.-External links:*...

(whose members have gills rather than pores). Some authorities include even more genera; for instance the Interactive Catalogue of Australian Fungi also includes Austroboletus

Austroboletus

Austroboletus is a genus of fungi in the family Boletaceae. Formerly a subgenus of Boletus, Austroboletus was raised to genus level in 1979. Although they resemble the boletes macroscopically, Austroboletus is differentiated microscopically with spores that are pitted, rather than...

, Chalciporus

Chalciporus piperatus

Chalciporus piperatus, commonly known as the Peppery bolete, is a small pored mushroom of the Boletaceae family found in mixed woodland in Europe....

, Fistulinella

Fistulinella

Fistulinella is a genus of bolete fungi in the family Boletaceae. The genus has a pantropical distribution, and contains 15 species. Fistulinella was circumscribed by German mycologist Paul Christoph Hennings in 1901.-Species:...

, Gastrotylopilus, Rubinoboletus, and Tylopilus

Tylopilus

Tylopilus is a large genus of around 75 species of mycorrhizal bolete fungi separated from Boletus. Its best known member is the bitter bolete , the only species found in Europe. More species are found in North America, such as the edible species Tylopilus chromapes and T. alboater, and the...

in Strobilomycetaceae . The relatively common genus Tylopilus has intermediate characteristics which create something of a problem for those who wish to define a separation of the two families. On the other hand a DNA study by Høiland K. (1987) indicates that Strobilomyces is only distantly related to more familiar boletes such as Suillus.

Singer defined Strobilomycetaceae by:

• the habit of the fruiting body, with a slender cylindrical stipe and a strongly convex cap,
• surface markings of the stipe,
• distinctive spore print colour (but species with olivaceous spores occur both in this group and in Boletaceae),
• large spores which are often ornamented,
• voluminous basidia and cystidia, and
• hymenophoral trama of Boletus subtype.