Boletus rhodopurpureus
Boletus rhodopurpureus Smotl.
Boletaceae
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Cap up to 15 cm in diameter, hemispherical to convex, sometimes nearly flat, dark pink, pinkish red, dark red, purple or wine red, blueing when bruised. Stipe central, clavate or cylindrical, yellow or orange yellow, often in the lower part dark red, covered with fine red network; surface blueing when bruised. Flesh lemon yellow, blueing deeply when exposed to air. Tubes yellow, pores bright red or orange red, blueing when bruised. Basidiospores 12–14 × 5–6 μm. Mycorrhizal with oaks (Quercus).
Habitats and populations. Thinned, light thermophilous oak forests. Fruit-bodies appear solitary.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Black Sea Coast, Balkan Range (Eastern), Sredna Gora Mts (Western), Tundzha Hilly Country; up to 500 m.
General distribution. Europe (except N regions), Asia Minor (Turkey).
Threats. Limited distribution, forest cutting, habitat loss and degradation due to intensive tourism and infrastructure development. Fruiting bodies are destroyed by mushroom pickers and are often destroyed by the parasitic fungus Sepedonium chrysospermum.
Conservation measures taken. Included in the Red List of Fungi in Bulgaria. Some localities are in sites of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Sustainable management and conservation of the habitat and of the known localities; monitoring of the populations.
References. Kuthan & Kotlaba 1981, 1989; Engel et al. 1983; Stoichev & Dimcheva 1987b; Muñoz 2005; Denchev & Assyov 2010.
Authors: Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev
