Suillellus adonis

Suillellus adonis has a striking appearance with its vibrant colouration and distinctive features. The cap ranges from 4.5 to 11 cm in diameter and has a convex shape with an uneven surface. It has a dry, finely velvety-tomentose texture and is predominantly deep red. The colour becomes paler toward the margin, transitioning to reddish orange or yellow orange. Some specimens may display purplish-black streaks or spots across the cap surface. The underside of the cap reveals yellow to olive pores that are about 1 mm wide and distinctly maze-like (labyrinthiform). These pores stain intensely blue when bruised or damaged, a characteristic reaction in many bolete mushrooms. The tubes connected to these pores attach to the stipe (adnate) or are slightly depressed near it, measuring up to 17 mm long near the stipe but becoming shorter (3–5 mm) toward the cap margin. The stipe measures 3.5–6.5 cm in length and 1–4 cm in thickness. It can be cylindrical or taper toward the base and is solidly constructed. The stipe colouration ranges from pale yellow to golden yellow, sometimes matching the cap colour partially or completely, while the base displays a dark wine-like (vinaceous) colour. The stipe surface is dry and distinctly covered with a powdery bloom (pruinose), which varies in colour from yellow to orange to red. …

Suillellus adonis is found in Mediterranean regions, specifically recorded from Croatia and Italy. The type specimens were collected in Croatia on the island of Cres, growing among grass in a small sheep pasture near holm oak (Quercus ilex) and European black pine (Pinus nigra) at an elevation of 100 metres above sea level. This apparently rare fungus was later reported from Cyprus. The species grows in groups (gregariously), sometimes in small clusters of two or three fruiting bodies. It appears to form mycorrhizal associations with Mediterranean trees, particularly holm oak.

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