Guide’s fungus of the month

A fairly common but spectacular fungus found in Kings Park is this oddly named “gilled bolete”. It’s a mycorrhizal fungus that looks and behaves just like a bolete, in that the under surface is bright yellow and turns blue when damaged. BUT it has gills, not pores! That’s impossible I hear you say, those of you who know some fungi groups. However this is biology – where rules seem to exist to be broken every now and then.

It’s a large fungus, up to 20cm in diameter and looks rather like a large brown stone emerging from the soil or leaf litter. What a surprise when you use a mirror to look at the underneath surface which is bright yellow and quickly bruises blue if damaged.

The scientific name of this fungus is Phylloporus clelandii, also known as Cleland’s gilled bolete. It grows under eucalyptus and casuarina trees and can often be found under trees on May Drive in Kings Park.

Join our Fabulous Fungi Foray on 11 July to learn more about the fungi in Kings Park and the amazing world beneath your feet!