Type: Mycorrhizal Fungi; Description: Basidiomata pileate. Pileus golden brown, paling towards the margin, 50–150 mm in diameter, convex to plano-convex, mucilaginous; flesh lemon yellow. Pore surface adnate to subdecurrent; tubes lemon yellow, up to 11 mm long; pores concolorous with the tubes, becoming brownish when bruised, angular, 0.5–1 mm in diameter. Stipe more or less cylindrical, tapering slightly towards the apex, concolorous with the pores above a conspicuous, brownish yellow annulus, golden brown below, reticulate above the annulus, 45–100 mm long. Basidiospores elliptic, 0-septate, 8–10 × 3–4 μm, smooth, pale yellow.

Distribution: Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Nelson, Mid Canterbury.; 1st Record: Rawlings (1951: as Boletus elegans).

Significance: Common in stands of Larix decidua and regarded as a mycorrhizal associate (Rawlings 1951).; Host(s): Larix decidua, L. kaempferi.

COLLECTIONS EXAMINED: Under (1) Larix decidua, Auckland, Whakarewarewa, May 1964, Apr, May 1967, R.F.R. McN., 23628-9, 25786-7; Rotorua Apr 1965, P. Darling, 24643; Mihi, Apr 1967, R.F.R. McN., 25819; Canterbury, Ashley Forest, Nov 1964, R. M. J. Mackenzie, 24314; Nelson, Golden Downs State Forest, May 1965, W. A. Holloway, 24644; Wellington, Tongariro National Park, near Chateau, May 1967, P. G. Sheridan and R.F.R. McN., 25788; (2) L. occidentalis, Whakarewarewa, Apr 1967, R.F.R. McN., 25785.

PILEUS: convex to plano-convex, 5-15 cm diam., mucilaginous, glabrous, golden brown, often paling toward margin, frequently streaked or blotched with lemon yellow or golden yellow; cuticle an ixotrichodermium, readily separable, composed of gelatinised, hair-like, septate hyphae 3.5-6 µm diam.; margin typically entire, occasionally lacerate. HYMENOPHORE: tubes to 11 mm long, adnate to subdecurrent, lemon yellow to golden yellow; pores concolorous with tubes, angular, 0.5-1 mm diam., becoming brownish where damaged. STIPE: 4.5-10 cm long, equal or tapering apically, 1-2.3 cm diam., solid, finely but distinctly reticulate above annulus, subpruinose or subglabrous below, concolorous with pores apically, yellow, golden brown or brownish below; glandulae absent: flesh pallid yellow; annulus typically conspicuous, rarely absent, superior, pallid yellow or brownish yellow. SPORES: spore print yellowish brown (between Sayal Brown and Cinnamon); spores pallid melleous, elliptic-subfusiform, (8)-8.6-10-(13.5) X 2.8-3.5-(4) µm, smooth. HYMENIUM: basidia hyaline, clavate, 17.5-25 X 4.5-6.5 µm, 4-spored; cystidia numerous, often in groups, hyaline or encrusted with brown, resinous material, subcylindrical to clavate, 30-55 X 6-9 µm. HYMENOPHORAL TRAMA: bilateral, of the Boletus subtype; clamp connections absent. CONTEXT OF PILEUS: lemon yellow, often with golden yellow areas, unchanging on exposure to air. TASTE: mild. SMELL: not distinctive. CHEMICAL REACTIONS: KOH on pileus—grey; on context of pileus—immediate red flush turning lilac; NH4OH on pileus—orange tan; on context—immediate red flush turning lilac.

HABITAT: Gregarious or occasionally caespitose under Larix.

ILLUSTRATIONS: Kallenbach, Die. Pilze Mitteleuropas 1 (7): pl. 17-1928; Wakefield and Dennis, Common British Fungi pl. 84, fig. 2. 1950

Pileus up to 8 cm. diam., glutinous, bright yellow ochre to dull ochre, flesh creamy yellow, darkening slightly when cut. Pores up to 1 mm. or more in diam. and to 8 mm. long, yellow, slightly or strongly decurrent. Stipe 1-2 X 5-10 cm., yellow to yellow-ochre, conspicuous membranous ring with the stipe usually thickened under the ring, colour darker below the ring except at the base which is often white. Spores 8-10 X 3-4um.

common in plantations of Larix decidua.

This fungus appears to correspond with figs. 10, 12 and 18 of Kallenbach's illustrations (t. 17) of Boletus elegans (flavus). (Typical S.flavidus (Fr.) Singer is a smaller, more tawny fungus of moist Pinus woods in the northern hemisphere)