
Foxy Bolete
Leccinum vulpinum
Leccinum vulpinum, commonly known as the foxy bolete, is a species of edible mushroom-forming fungus found in Europe. It is characterized by its muted fox-red cap with cocoa-brown tints, cream-coloured pore surface, and stout stipe covered with scales that darken from whitish to dark brown with age.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leccinum_vulpinum
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Boletales
Family
Boletaceae
Genus
Leccinum
Foxy Bolete belongs to the family Boletaceae, order Boletales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
Leccinum vulpinum, commonly known as the foxy bolete, is a species of edible mushroom-forming fungus found in Europe. It is characterized by its muted fox-red cap with cocoa-brown tints, cream-coloured pore surface, and stout stipe covered with scales that darken from whitish to dark brown with age. This bolete is distinguished from its close relatives by its consistent association with conifers, subdued brown-reddish cap lacking vivid yellow-orange tones, and relatively narrow spores. Originally described by Roy Watling in 1961 from Scotland, it has since been recorded across several European countries including Poland, Portugal, Macedonia, and Montenegro.
The Foxy Bolete faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and urban development in its limited range. Climate change is altering the delicate mycorrhizal relationships this fungus depends on with its host trees, while pollution and soil contamination further threaten its survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Leccinum vulpinum is mycorrhizal with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). It was originally recorded from dry, upland pine woods in Inverness-shire, Scotland. Specimens were found among bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) beneath mature pines in the Rothiemurchus area and Cairngorms National Park, with known collections dating from 1957 to 1960. An edible species, it grows in mycorrhizal association with...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
The Foxy Bolete faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and urban development in its limited range. Climate change is altering the delicate mycorrhizal relationships this fungus depends on with its host trees, while pollution and soil contamination further threaten its survival.
Habitat loss and fragmentation from deforestation
Urban development and land conversion
Climate change disrupting mycorrhizal relationships
Soil pollution and contamination
Over-collection by foragers
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Foxy Bolete (Leccinum vulpinum). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/foxy-bolete