New to science

This magnificent mushroom found early in 2025 on the Paten Road Track, Mount Coot-tha is an undescribed Xerocomus sp. It’s related to the Boletes, a family of mushrooms which usually have pores instead of gills on their underside and include the culinary porcini mushrooms. The mushroom was rather large at 12 cm wide and 10 cm high. The photographer and local fungi enthusiast John Gottschalk contacted a mycologist for an identification. Patrick Leonard the author of A Bolete or Two explained recent changes have split Boletes and erected several new fungi species including Xerocomus. “Xerocomus, Xerocomellus, Aureoboletus, Imleria, Hortiboletus, Rheubarbariboletus and Hemileccinum. None of these new genera can be recognized in the field, let alone from a photograph. None of the many Xerocomus species that occur in Australia have been named, let alone placed in any of the new genera. So your specimen joins a big heap of Xerocomus spp. new to science! Waiting for someone to come along and work on them!” Patrick said.

Side view, Xerocomus sp. Photo: John Gottschalk, using an iPhone 11

Top view, Xerocomus sp. Photo: John Gottschalk, using an iPhone 11