Boletales

Boletales is an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes within the division Basidiomycota. It includes a diverse group of species, most notably the bolete fungi with a pore-bearing hymenium, as well as several genera with different morphological traits. The order comprises families such as Boletaceae (the true boletes with a sponge-like pore surface under the cap), Sclerodermataceae (earthballs), Suillaceae (including Suillus), Paxillaceae (including Paxillus), and related families.

Most Boletales produce fleshy fruiting bodies with a cap and a stout stem. The hymenium is typically poroid rather than gilled, with tubes ending in pores. Spores are usually brown to olive-brown and are dispersed by wind. Some members display more variable forms, including gilled or lamellate hymenia, but the porous form is characteristic of many lineages.

Ecologically, Boletales species are predominantly ectomycorrhizal, forming mutualistic associations with trees such as pines, oaks, and other hardwoods. A smaller portion are saprotrophic, decomposing wood or leaf litter. They occur in a broad range of temperate and tropical forests worldwide.

Human use varies: some boletes are edible and sought after for culinary value, notably some Boletus species; others are toxic or cause adverse reactions, and misidentification can be dangerous. Taxonomically, the order has been refined with molecular data, leading to reevaluations of family boundaries and relationships within Agaricomycetes.