Chroogomphus /kr.əˈɡɒmfəs/ is a genus of mushrooms commonly known as pine-spikes or spike-caps based on their shape and because they are often found growing in association with pine trees. The genus is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere including North America and Eurasia.

Chroogomphus
Chroogomphus rutilus
Chroogomphus rutilus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Boletales
Family: Gomphidiaceae
Genus: Chroogomphus
(Singer) O.K.Mill. (1964)[1]
Type species
Chroogomphus rutilus
Synonyms

Taxonomy

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These fungi are members of the family Gomphidiaceae which are agaricoid members of the Boletales (suborder Suillineae).[4] Related to the genus Gomphidius (in which they were once classified), Chroogomphus are distinguished from Gomphidius by their lack of a partial veil.

Chroogomphus rutilus, found in Europe, is the type species.[5]

Accepted species of Chroogomphus include:[6][7]

Image Scientific Name Year Distribution
Chroogomphus albipes (Zeller) Yan C. Li & Zhu L. Yang 2009 Sierra Nevada
Chroogomphus asiaticus O.K. Mill. & Aime 2001 Eastern Siberia, Nepal
Chroogomphus conacytiensis Ayala-Vásquez, Martínez-Reyes, Pérez-Moreno 2023 Mexico
Chroogomphus confusus Yan C. Li & Zhu L. Yang 2009 China (Yunnan)
Chroogomphus filiformis Yan C. Li & Zhu L. Yang 2009 China (Yunnan)
Chroogomphus flavovinaceus Ayala-Vásquez, Martínez-Reyes, Pérez-Moreno 2023 Mexico
Chroogomphus fulmineus (R. Heim) Courtec. 1988 France
  Chroogomphus helveticus (Singer) M.M. Moser 1967 Czech Republic, United States, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic
Chroogomphus himalayanus K. Das, Hembrom, A. Parihar & Vizzini 2021 India.
Chroogomphus jamaicensis (Murrill) O.K. Mill. 1964 United States, Dominican Republic, Jamaica
Chroogomphus leptocystis (Singer) O.K. Mill. 1964 Canada
Chroogomphus loculatus Trappe & O.K. Mill. 1970 United States
  Chroogomphus mediterraneus (Finschow) Vila, Pérez-De-Greg. & G. Mir 2006 Greece, United Kingdom, Spain
  Chroogomphus ochraceus (Kauffman) O.K. Mill. 1964 United States, Canada
Chroogomphus orientirutilus Yan C. Li & Zhu L. Yang 2009 China (Yunnan)
  Chroogomphus pakistanicus M. Kiran & A.N. Khalid 2020 Pakistan
Chroogomphus papillatus (Raithelh.) Raithelh. 1983 Southern Hemisphere
  Chroogomphus pruinosus M. Kiran & A.N. Khalid 2020 Pakistan
Chroogomphus pseudotomentosus O.K. Mill. & Aime 2001 China (Yunnan)
  Chroogomphus pseudovinicolor O.K. Mill. 1967 United States
Chroogomphus purpurascens (Lj.N. Vassiljeva) M.M. Nazarova 1990 China, Russia, Germany
Chroogomphus roseolus Yan C. Li & Zhu L. Yang 2009 China
  Chroogomphus rutilus (Schaeff.) O.K. Mill. 1964 Finland, Greece, Russia, South Korea
  Chroogomphus sibiricus (Singer) O.K. Mill. 1964 Russia
  Chroogomphus subfulmineus Niskanen, Loizides, Scambler & Liimat. 2018 Italy, Spain, Cyprus
Chroogomphus superiorensis (Kauffman & A.H. Sm.) Singer 1975
  Chroogomphus tomentosus (Murrill) O.K. Mill. 1964 Canada,United States
  Chroogomphus vinicolor (Peck) O.K. Mill. 1964 United States

Etymology

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The genus name is derived from the Greek χρω- (chroo-), meaning "skin" or "colour", and γομφος (gomphos) meaning "plug" or "large wedge-shaped nail".[8]

Description

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Chroogomphus vinicolor

The cap of C. rutilus is up to 10 centimetres (4 inches) in diameter and red-brown in colour. The widely spaced gills are brownish-orange and decurrent with black to brownish-yellow spores. The stalk is brownish-yellow and tapers toward the base. The flesh is orange to salmon-coloured and turns violet when chewed.

Chroogomphus ochraceus of North America is very similar in habit and appearance to C. rutilus, and the latter name has often been misapplied to C. ochraceus.[9]

Chroogomphus vinicolor, another North American species, is likewise similar to C. rutilus, although C. vinicolor tends to be smaller. The cap color is variable in both species, with C. vinicolor being, as its scientific name suggests, more wine-colored while C. rutilus is usually more brown. The most distinctive differences between these three species are microscopic.[10][6][11]

Distribution and habitat

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The genus is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere including North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.[5]

Ecology

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Members of this genus have been thought to be ectomycorrhizal with various species of pine, but there is now evidence that all members of the Gomphidiaceae are parasitic upon other boletes. Specifically, Chroogomphus species are thought to be parasitic on various conifer-associated Suillus species, with this parasitism often being highly species-specific.[12][13] In the Pacific Northwest of North America, C. tomentosus is found with western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), while C. helveticus of Europe is found in conifer forests containing spruce (Picea ssp.).[14][15]

Uses

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Chroogomphus rutilus, C. ochraceus, C. oregonensis, C. tomentosus, and C. vinicolor are edible[16] and may be interchangeable for culinary purposes. They are not, however, regarded as flavorful and possess neither a distinctive taste nor odor. One food writer states about C. rutilus and C. vinicolor:

They are excellent when dried, have a firm chewy texture but almost no flavor. This means you can put them in any dish without worrying about overpowering them - there's nothing to overpower! They make an excellent textural addition, though, a little crunchy, a little rubbery, very pleasant. Use them in tomato sauce as a meat substitute, or in a spicy Thai curry. You can't go wrong, because you can't taste them.[11]

Chroogomphus rutilus has been the subject of investigation as the source of antibiotics, as well as other potentially useful secondary compounds.[5]

References

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  1. ^ (Singer) O.K. Mill., Mycologia 56: 529 (1964)
  2. ^ "Chroogomphus" (HTML). NCBI taxonomy. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  3. ^ (Schaeff.) O.K. Mill., Mycologia 56: 543 (1964) [MB#328192]
  4. ^ Binder M, Hibbett DS., M; Hibbett, DS (2006). "Molecular systematics and biological diversification of Boletales". Mycologia. 98 (6): 971–81. doi:10.3852/mycologia.98.6.971. PMID 17486973.
  5. ^ a b c Aime M, Miller OK. (2005). Proposal to Conserve the Name Chroogomphus Against Brauniellula (Gomphidiaceae). Taxon 55(1):227–228. (abstract)
  6. ^ a b Kuo M. (2005). The genus Chroogomphus. MushroomExpert.com.
  7. ^ "Search Page". Species Fungorum. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  8. ^ Liddell HJ, Scott R (1980). Greek-English Lexicon, Abridged Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. ISBN 978-0-19-910207-5.
  9. ^ Wood M, Stevens F. (2004). Chroogomphus ochraceus. MykoWeb.
  10. ^ Kuo M. (2005). Chroogomphus vinicolor. MushroomExpert.com.
  11. ^ a b Rich R. (2002). "Chroogomphus rutilis." From: Robert's wild mushroom cookbook (website).
  12. ^ Agerer R. (1990). Studies on ectomycorrhizae XXIV: Ectomycorrhizae of Chroogomphus helveticus and C. rutilus (Gomphidiaceae, Basidiomyetes) and their relationship to those of Suillus and Rhizopogon. Nova Hedwigia 50:1–63.
  13. ^ Olsson PA, et al. (2000). Molecular and anatomical evidence for a three-way association between Pinus sylvestris and the ectomycorrhizal fungi Suillus bovinus and Gomphidius roseus. Mycological Research 104:1372–1378. (abstract)
  14. ^ Trudell, S.; Ammirati, J. (2009). Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press Field Guides. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-88192-935-5.
  15. ^ Assyov, Boris. "Chroogomphus helveticus". Boletales.com. Retrieved 2011-10-12.
  16. ^ Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. pp. 245–46. ISBN 978-1-55407-651-2.


Further reading

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  • Arora D. (1986) Mushrooms Demystified. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. ISBN 0-89815-169-4
  • Breitenbach J & Kränzlin F (1991). Fungi of Switzerland 3: Boletes & Agarics, 1st Part. ISBN 978-3-85604-230-1.
  • Nilsson S. & Persson O. (1977) Fungi of Northern Europe 1: Larger Fungi (Excluding Gill Fungi). Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-063005-8
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