Suillus sibiricus
Suillus sibiricus (Singer) Singer subsp. helveticus Singer
Suillaceae
Conservation status. Endangered [EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)].
Morphology and biology. Fruit-bodies with partial veil. Cap up to 8 cm in diameter, convex to nearly flat, yellow to ochraceous yellow, often with irregular violet-brown or brown spots, viscid. Stipe cylindrical or tapering towards the base, whitish, with fine brown granules and fugacious ring. Flesh pale yellow, unchanging when exposed to air. Tubes short, decurrent, yellow; pores large angular, yellow, unchanging. Basidiospores 8–12 × 4–4.5 μm. Mycorrhizal with 5-needled pines; in Bulgaria only with the Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce).
Habitats and populations. Forests with Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce).
Distribution in Bulgaria. Pirin Mts (Northern), Rila Mts; up to 1800 m.
General distribution. Europe (Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, Balkan Peninsula), Asia (Siberia), North America.
Threats. Limited distribution, specific ecological requirements and species biology, forest felling, habitat loss and degradation due to intensive tourism and infrastructure development in the known localities.
Conservation measures taken. Species whose habitats need priority protection according to the Biological Diversity Act. Included in the Red List of Fungi in Bulgaria. All the known localities are situated in protected areas (Rila National Park, Pirin National Park, and Rilski Manastir Nature Park) and 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 locations; survey and monitoring of the area of occupancy and the status of the populations.
Notes. Included in the list of 33 threatened fungus species in Europe, candidates for listing in Appendix 1 of the Bern Convention.
References. Dörfelt & Müsch 1987; Stoichev & Dimcheva 1987b; Engel et al. 1996; Dahlberg & Kroneborg 2003; Assyov 2004; Denchev et al. 2007; Assyov et al. 2010; Denchev & Assyov 2010.
Authors: Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev
