Foxy Bolete
ENEndangered

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

01Classification

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.

02Description

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

IUCN StatusEndangered (EN)
GroupFungi
03Habitat

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...

TERRESTRIALMajor
04Threats

Threats

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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

HighOngoing

Urban development and land conversion

HighOngoing

Climate change disrupting mycorrhizal relationships

MediumOngoing

Soil pollution and contamination

MediumOngoing

Over-collection by foragers

LowOngoing
Community

Community Sightings

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07Sources

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

Full citation guide & data usage terms