Very large, up to 60cm diam. A single species in New Zealand. Found under a wide range of plants, in both indigenous forests, as well as parks and gardens. Not particularly associated with mycorrhizal trees, so appears to have a saprobic lifestyle, unusual for the boletes. Distinguished microscopically because it has clamp connections (lacking in all other New Zealand boletes).

Widely distributed in tropical Asia and Australia, its presence in northern New Zealand is not unexpected. McNabb noted in his report on this species "The genus Phaeogyroporus contains some of the largest Agaricales known: Cleland (1935) reported that specimens of P. portentosus reached 60 cm in diameter and weighed up to 7 lb 2 oz. P. portentosus is regarded as an edible species in Australia."