# Chroogomphus

Chroogomphus /kroʊ.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.

## Taxonomy

These fungi are members of the family Gomphidiaceae which are agaricoid members of the Boletales (suborder Suillineae). 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.
Accepted species of Chroogomphus include:
| 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

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

## Description

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.
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.

## Distribution and habitat

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

## Ecology

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. 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.).

## Uses

Chroogomphus rutilus, C. ochraceus, C. oregonensis, C. tomentosus, and C. vinicolor are edible 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.
While David Arora states in his book Mushrooms Demystified:
   ...some relatively unknown mushrooms (e.g., Chroogomphus) are quite good..
Chroogomphus rutilus has been the subject of investigation as the source of antibiotics, as well as other potentially useful secondary compounds.