Suillus grevillei


Suillus grevillei, commonly known as tamarack jack, Greville's bolete, or larch bolete, is a mycorrhizal mushroom with a tight, brilliantly coloured cap, shiny and wet looking with its mucous slime layer. The hymenium easily separates from the flesh of the cap, with a central stalk that is quite slender. The species has a ring or a tight-fitting annular zone.

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from Robert Kaye Greville.

Description

Suillus grevillei is a mushroom with a 5-10 cm cap colored from citrus yellow to burnt orange, that is at first hemispherical, then bell-shaped, and finally flattened. It has a sticky skin, often with veil remnants on the edge, short tubes of yellow which descend down to the bottom of its cylindrical stalk, which is yellowish above the ring area with streaks of reddish brown below. The flesh is yellow, staining brown.
Taste mild to slightly astringent to bitterish; odor none to somewhat metallic.

Habitat and distribution

It grows only under larch trees. Widespread in North America and Europe. In Asia, it has been recorded from Taiwan.

Edibility

Suillus grevillei can be cooked as an edible mushroom, though one without culinary interest, if the slimy cuticle is removed from the cap.

Chemistry

The fungus produces grevillin which is characteristic of this fungus. Contain at least 11 yellow, orange and red pigments derived from decarboxylated pulvinic acids, of which 3',4',4- trihydroxypulvinone is the major pigment. Cyclovariegatin is also partly responsible for its colour.
The genetic and enzymatic basis for atromentin, the precursor to various pulvinic acid-type pigments, has been characterized. A cosmid library has been made from the genome. The estimated gene density based on the cosmid library is 1 per 3900 bp of genomic DNA. The genome has a GC content of 49.8%.

Works in French

  • Régis Courtecuisse, Bernard Duhem : Guide des champignons de France et d'Europe.
  • Marcel Bon : Champignons de France et d'Europe occidentale
  • Dr Ewaldt Gerhardt : Guide Vigot des champignons -
  • Roger Phillips : Les champignons -
  • Thomas Laessoe, Anna Del Conte : L'Encyclopédie des champignons -
  • Peter Jordan, Steven Wheeler : Larousse saveurs - Les champignons -
  • G. Becker, Dr L. Giacomoni, J Nicot, S. Pautot, G. Redeuihl, G. Branchu, D. Hartog, A. Herubel, H. Marxmuller, U. Millot et C. Schaeffner : Le guide des hampignons -
  • Henri Romagnesi : Petit atlas des champignons -