Strobilomyces confusus - Details

Strobilomyces confusus belongs to the group of mushrooms known as “boletes”, fleshy mushrooms that form pores rather than gills on the underside of the cap. The left photo shows the pores on the underside of a portion of a cap of Strobilomyces. The center photo shows a cap that has been cut vertically through the center. The cap is covered by the characteristic pointed, brownish-black scales. The flesh of the cap is white, but turns deep pink on exposure to air. In vertical section the pores appear as a layer of tubes that surround the stalk. The interior of each tube is lined with numerous cells (basidia) that produce the reproductive spores (basidiospores). The photo on the right shows a basidium with two brown basidiospores. The basidiospores are borne on the tips of slender stalks (sterigmata) that protrude from the top of the basidium. Normally four spores are borne on each basidium; in the photo, two sterigmata without spores are slightly out of focus.When mature, the basidiospores are released and fall to the ground, where they will germinate and grow if conditions are favorable.