Leccinum monticola Halling & G.M.Muell.

  • Family

    Boletaceae (Basidiomycota)

  • Scientific Name

    Leccinum monticola Halling & G.M.Muell.

  • Primary Citation

    Leccinum (Boletaceae) in Costa Rica.
    Mycologia 95: 488-499. 2003

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- R. E. Halling 8288, verif. R. E. Halling

  • Description

    Latin diagnosis: Pileus aurantiacus vel brunneo-aurantiacus, fibrillosus vel tomentosus, margine appendiculato et sterili, pileipelle trichodermalis. Contextus albus mutabilis. Stipes albus scabrosus. Basidiosporae in cumulo olivaceo-brunneae subfusiformae parietibus laevibus inamyloideis. Sub Comarostaphylis in montibus Cordillera Talamanca Costa Ricae.

    Description: Pileus 5.5--15 cm broad, at first obtusely convex, with age plano-convex, dry to moist to subviscid (when wet), even, becoming areolate; disc at first brownish orange (7A-B-C-D8-7-6), then agate brown (6-7E8) to brown to brownish orange to light brown; margin even, concolorous with disc; surface appressed fibrillose to appressed fibrillose scaly to appressed tomentose to tomentose, becoming finely fibrillose; sterile appendiculate flaps present (conspicuous when young); with NH4 pale brown. Flesh 15--30 mm thick, white, staining fuscous; odor mild; taste mild. Hymenophore tubulose, free to adnexed. Tubes 10--30 mm long, pale yellow, becoming light brown to pinkish gray, near bronze-yellow when injured; pores 2--3 mm wide, white, then light brown to pinkish gray, brown when bruised. Stipe (6.5--)10--13(--15) cm long, 15--30 mm wide, subclavate to clavate, often curved or strict, not radicating, dry; upper half when young scabrous, white, with age scabrous, pale gray, sometimes with pale yellowish-green tints or white; lower half when young scabrous, white, with age scabrous to subglabrous, pale gray, sometimes with pale yellowish-green tints or white; scabers on upper half when young white, with age black to brown, on lower half when young white, with age black to brown; base white, staining not present or blue green (occasional). Stipe interior solid; flesh above white, staining fuscous; flesh at base white, staining fuscous and/or blue green. Basal mycelium white.

    Further description: Basidiospores umber brown to olive brown, 15--18.9 µm × 4.9--5.6 µm, Q = 3.24, smooth, subfusoid to fusoid, inamyloid. Basidia 20--35 µm × 8.5--12 µm, clavate, hyaline, 4-sterigmate. Hymenial cystidia 35--50 µm × 8--11 µm, more common towards edge of tubes, thin walled, hyaline to gray brown contents or honey colored contents, lageniform to fusoid to ventricose to ventricose rostrate or mucronate, gelatinization absent, encrusting pigment absent. Tube trama boletoid, hyaline, lateral strata elements 3.5--10.5 µm wide, subgelatinous (with age). Pileipellis hyphae a trichodermium (often collapsed with age), in KOH brownish, inamyloid; elements 3.5--7 µm wide, subelongate to elongated, smooth, thin walled, granular content present, not gelatinized. Pileus trama interwoven, hyaline, inamyloid, with elements 5.6--20 µm wide, smooth, thin walled. Stipitipellis hyphae vertically oriented, parallel, giving rise to clusters of caulocystidia, 35--50 µm × 7--18 µm, clavate to subclavate to mucronate or subfusoid (rarely), hyaline or golden yellow contents, with encrusting pigment absent. Stipe trama hyphae parallel, cylindric, hyaline, inamyloid. Clamp connections absent.

    Habit, habitat, and distribution: solitary to scattered or gregarious near Comarostaphylis arbutoides, solely in the páramo, or just below timberline mixed with Q. costaricensis. At present, known only from higher elevation on Volcan Irazu and the Cordillera Talamanca.

    Material examined: Costa Rica. Cartago: Parque Prusia, W slope of Volcan Irazu, 9°57'56''N, 83°52'15''W, 2960 m, 20 Jul 1993, Halling 7034 (NY, USJ); 3 Nov 1993, Halling 7122 (NY, USJ); 14 Nov 1993, Halling 7162 (NY, USJ). San José: Dota, San Gerardo, ±500 m S of Interamerican Highway on road to San Gerardo, 9°36'13''N, 83°47'26''W, 3000 m, 21 Oct 1994, Halling 7411 (NY, USJ); 15 Jul 1999, Halling 7886 (INB, NY); 28 Jun 2001, Halling 8208 (NY, USJ); 4 Jul 2001, Halling 8239 (NY, USJ); summit of Cerro de la Muerte, 9°40''N, 83°45''W, 3491 m, 17 Nov 2001, Halling 8288 (Holotype: USJ; Isotype: NY).

    Commentary: Taxa of Leccinum subsect. Leccinum are characterized by a conspicuous and distinctive flap of sterile tissue at the margin of the pileus. Further, they frequently have a pileus that is colored some shade of orange or orange brown to red brown and context that changes to pink and/or fuscous when exposed. Many names have been used for "species" in this subsection, and the taxonomy is in apparent disarray for taxa outside of Europe. Mycorrhizal associates in the Northern Hemisphere are typically members of the Betulaceae, or less often with Pinaceae and/or Fagaceae. However, some few species are known to form mycorrhizal associations with members of the Ericaceae (e.g., L. manzanitae Thiers with Arctostaphylos spp. and L. arbuticola Thiers with Arbutus). Leccinum monticola occurs among páramo vegetation on the summit of Cerro de la Muerte and is associated with Comarostaphylis arbutoides. Previously, we had encountered the fungus commonly at slightly lower elevations (2800--3000 m) in the Cordillera Talamanca where Comarostaphylis occurs sympatrically with Quercus costaricensis. It has also been found on Volcan Irazu among similar vegetation.

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