Boletus armeniacus
Boletus armeniacus Quél.
Xerocomus armeniacus (Quél.) Quél.
Boletaceae
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Cap up to 5 cm in diameter, hemispherical to convex, apricot orange or pinkish orange, not blueing when handled. Stipe cylindrical or spindle-shaped, tapering towards the base, pale yellow, sometimes with orange or reddish tint, blueing when bruised. Flesh pale yellow in the cap, lemon yellow in the upper part of the stipe, orange yellow in the base, blueing in the cap when exposed to air. Tubes yellow, pores yellow, blueing when damaged. Basidiospores 10–16 × 4–6 μm. Mycorrhizal with oaks (Quercus) and beech (Fagus sylvatica).
Habitats and populations. Thinned, light thermophilous oak or beech forests. Fruit-bodies appear solitary.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea Coast (Southern), Balkan Range (Western), Vitosha Region, Tundzha Hilly Country; up to 1000 m.
General distribution. Seldom throughout Europe, more common in the S.
Threats. Limited distribution, forest cutting, planting of non-native trees, habitat loss due to intensive tourism and infrastructure development.
Conservation measures taken. Included in the Red List of Fungi in Bulgaria. One of the known localities is situated in the Ropotamo Strict Nature Reserve and in a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Sustainable management and conservation of the habitat and of the known locations; monitoring of the populations.
References. Kuthan & Kotlaba 1981, 1989; Stoichev & Dimcheva 1987b; Ladurner & Simonini 2003; Assyov & Denchev 2004; Denchev & Assyov 2010.
Authors: Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev
