Does anyone here look for the King Bolete?

In Kansas we have no native pine trees and therefore no significant populations of B. edulis. They can be purchased at Whole Foods in the Kansas City area at $50 per pound.

georgeM,

We find a few up here in Michigan, but nothing like our friends out west. But, I'm always on the lookout for "mushrumps" in the pine needles. There are lots of chestnut boletes up here though and while their size is not so much, in my estimation they are somewhat similar in taste. Gotta beat the bugs though.

HT

Yeah, I run into the bug problem with boletes here as well. We have several pretty tasty members of the genus, but in my experience they rarely fruit abundantly. I might find four or five while collecting chanterelle, but the bugs have usually reduced them to an unappealing mushy condition. And forget about putting them with your chanterelles, unless you enjoy introducing thousands of squirming larvae to the basket.

I've often thought about heading out west to dig several pine seedlings from an area where the trees serve as host to the species, and then bringing them back to plant in KS.

I figured you guys would have an abundance of chestnuts as well - they love oaks up here. I've gotten to the point on chestnuts just by looking at their color as to whether I want to stoop to pick them. When they have a dull brownish color the bugs ('shroom maggots) have already taken up residency. When they are bright and have the deep rich color of the butt of a chestnut colored horse, 9 chances out of 10 their good to go.

By chestnuts are you referring to Gyroporus castaneus? We find these and G. purpurinus frequently, nearly every summer hike turns up a handful, but they seldom appear in great multitudes in conditions worth collecting. I dried quite a few last year and added them to a mix of various edible mushrooms... the woodland medley.

Yes, G. castaneus. Is G. purpurinus the "Bluing bolete"? I'm thinking it is, without looking it up. If so, we get those is close proximity of the chestnut, both have hollow and pithy stipes. In an area that I find those in abundance, more chestnut than bluing, I also find "Old Man" and Russell's boletes - very sandy area.

Gyroporus cyanescens is the representative bluer of the genus. Purpurinus is distinguished from castaneus only by the color... There is some speculation that it may not represent a distinct species.

Oh yeah, that jogged my memory. Can't say that I've seen the G. purpurinus. That Bluing Boletes transformation from a light colored shroom is quick and almost shocking. I also, find a ton of B. Frostii near the Russells.

georgeM wrote:


you dont have to drive that far

www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/12169768#12169768