Hemileccinum impolitum

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***Hemileccinum impolitum***, is a basidiomycete fungus of the family Boletaceae, that has tubes and pores instead of gills. These pores can be seen under the cap as tiny holes. It is edible, but an occasional fruiter, often going many years between fruitings and is therefore not commonly found. It grows beneath *Quercus* (oak) trees. It is commonly called the **iodine bolete**, because of its smell when cut.

## Taxonomy

*Impolitum* is Latin, meaning "unpolished", "matt", "unsmoothed", or "unfinished", and may be a reference to the hammered look of some specimens. It was first described as *Boletus impolitus* by Elias Magnus Fries, an eminent mycologist of the 19th century. In 2008, Josef Šutara transferred it to the new genus *Hemileccinum* based on morphological features. In 2014, Wu *et al.* confirmed that *H. impolitum* does not belong in *Boletus*, *Xerocomus* or *Leccinum* in a molecular phylogenetic study.

## Description

 File:Boletus impolitus 2009 G1.jpg
The cap is at first hemispherical, but flattens with age, and is sometimes upturned when mature. It is pale brown, light tan, or tawny, often with a pale grey hoariness initially. It often has a 'hammered' look. The cap diameter usually ranges between Template:Convert, but can reach up to Template:Convert. The stem is Template:Convert high, and is slightly fatter at the base. It is pale yellow, and often has a red flush. It has no network (reticulation), but sometimes has reddish dots. The **pores** and **tubes** are pale yellow, with the **pores** being small and round, and they do 'not' bruise blue. The **flesh** is pale yellow, and remains the same colour when cut. It is soft and has a sour smell somewhat like iodine in the base. The spore print is olivaceous walnut-brown.

### Similar species

* *Caloboletus radicans* is very similar, and can also be found with oak. It has a whiter cap, but its pores bruise blue when damaged. It is inedible.
* The bitter and inedible *C. calopus* has a well-defined network (reticulation), and is redder on the lower part of its stem.

## Distribution and habitat

This species is mycorrhizal with oak (*Quercus*), and occasional, mainly being found in Southern England, although finds in other parts of the country have also been recorded. In mainland Europe it is found with oaks and hornbeams (*Carpinus*) on chalky soils, and has been found under pines (*Pinus*) . In England, it can appear in two or three flushes from June till September, depending on weather conditions.

## Edibility

 File:Boletus Impolitus dried 2010 G1.jpg
*Boletus impolitus* is typically considered inedible due to its bland taste. Some report it as mild and having a good texture. Care and discretion should be exercised when harvesting this mushroom in the interests of conservation.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Šutara 2008`
2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Wu 2014`
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Phillips06`
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `H&R1992`

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