Violet Gray Bolete (Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus)
Description
๐ฃ Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus, commonly known as the Violet Gray Bolete., is a striking fungus from the bolete family, first described in 1936. Found primarily in eastern North America and Korea, this mushroom dazzles with its vibrant colors! ๐จ
โจ Appearance: When young, the fruit bodies are a stunning violet, expanding up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in diameter. As they mature, they transition to a rich chocolate brown. The cap is often adorned with a whitish bloom, while the purplish-brown stem may exhibit marbled or streaked white patterns, darkening with age. Underneath, the white pore surface gradually turns a lovely pink. ๐ธ
๐ฝ๏ธ Taste & Edibility: While its beauty is undeniable, Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus is usually considered an inedible mushroom due to its extremely bitter taste. In fact, cooking this mushroom only intensifies its bitterness, making it unsuitable for culinary dishes. However, it can be creatively used for cocktail bitters or bittersweet candies! ๐ธ๐ฌ
๐ Fun Fact: In rare cases, Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus can take on unusual shapes that intriguingly resemble a male genital organ! This quirky characteristic adds to the unique charm of this fascinating mushroom. ๐คญ
๐ Ecology: This mushroom forms a mycorrhizal relationship with oak and other trees, thriving in deciduous forests during mid-summer to autumn. You might spot it growing singly or in clusters beneath beech or oak trees, often in sandy soil. Its distribution extends from Canada to Mexico and even includes collections from North Korea. ๐ณ
๐งฌ Unique Compounds: Not only does this fungus have a bitter bite, but it also houses unique bioactive compounds. Researchers have identified two special sterol derivatives, tylopiol A and tylopiol B, along with several other compounds that make it a fascinating subject for study! ๐ฌ
๐ The specific name "plumbeoviolaceus" is coined from the Latin adjectives plumbeus ("leaden" or "lead-colored") and violaceus ("purple").
Mushroom Identification
๐ Cap: The cap measures 4 to 15 cm (1.58 to 5.9 in) in diameter, starting out convex and then becoming centrally depressed. Young caps are violet and finely velvet-textured but smooth out as they mature, transitioning to a dull violet-purplish-gray and finally a chocolate-brown.
๐ Flesh: Inside, the flesh is solid white and remains unchanged when cut or bruised. Its bitter taste is a hallmark of this mushroom, while the odor is generally not distinctive.
๐ Pores: On the underside, you'll find tubes that are 0.4 to 1.8 cm deep, initially white and then turning rosy at maturity. The circular pores appear 2-3 per mm and donโt bruise easily.
๐ฆต Stem: The stem stands at 8 to 13 cm (3.1 to 5.1 in) long, is buff to light brown, and often shows dark brown bruises. Itโs slightly reticulate at the top and smooth below, sometimes bulbous at the base, with a white mycelium.
๐จ Spore Print: The spore print is a lovely pinkish brown.
๐๏ธ Habitat: Tylopilus plumbeoviolaceus is a mycorrhizal mushroom found scattered or gregariously around oaks, primarily in the summer and fall. Itโs widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains, with notable collections from Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, and Georgia.
๐ฌ Microscopic Features: Spores are light pink to flesh-colored, elliptical, and measure 9.1โ12.3 by 3.4โ4.5 ฮผm. Basidia are club-shaped and 26 by 6.5 ฮผm. The cap cuticle consists of smooth-walled, narrow, brownish hyphae.
Look-Alikes
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This species shares a similar habitat and may have a purplish cap when young, but it can be easily distinguished from T. plumbeoviolaceus by its stems, which are never purple.
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Tylopilus violatinctus
Found under hardwoods and conifers, with a distribution from New York to Mississippi. This species features a paler lilac-colored cap that may discolor to rusty purple along the edge in older specimens. Its spores measure 7โ10 by 3โ4 ฮผm. T. violatinctus was only described in 1998, so older literature may confuse it with T. plumbeoviolaceus.
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Tylopilus microsporus
Known exclusively from China, this species features a pale violet to violet cap, with a stem that is pale purple to purplish brown. Its flesh has pale purplish red pores, and it is characterized by smaller spores compared to T. plumbeoviolaceus.
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Tylopilus obscureviolaceus
This species is known only from the Yaeyama Islands in southwestern Japan. It differs from T. plumbeoviolaceus by maintaining its cap color, which does not fade to grayish or brownish when mature. Its spores are shorter, measuring 6โ7.2 by 3.3โ4 ฮผm, along with other distinctive microscopic characteristics.
Synonyms
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Boletus felleus f. plumbeoviolaceus Snell & E.A.Dick (1936)
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Boletus plumbeoviolaceus (Snell & E.A.Dick) Snell & E.A.Dick (1941)
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: Dan Molter (shroomydan) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Photo 2 - Author: Dan Molter (shroomydan) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Photo 3 - Author: Dan Molter (shroomydan) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Photo 4 - Author: Dan Molter (shroomydan) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Photo 5 - Author: Adam Bryant (ayedee) (CC BY-SA 3.0)