A Key to Xerocomus
Rather useful and easy to follow key to Xerocomus was published in the journal Field Mycology, volume 9(3), 2008.
Although focused on the British species, it also covers few yet unrecorded in the isles entities. The key is of the synoptic type and would be useful for those amateurs who do not like following the dichotomic keys. The author, Allan Hills, has chosen relatively simple and easy to observe characters.
Readers should not get confused by the title which says “a key”, because this paper actually contains detailed descriptions of all the species, including those yet to be found in the British Isles. In addition there are notes on the delimitation of similar species with identical codes in the key.
The paper is generously illustrated and includes photographs of recently described and less illustrated boletes, e.g. Xerocomus chrysonemus, Xerocomus fennicus, Xerocomus bubalinus, and others.
At the end, reading the paper, I am sure that it will help very much to amateur mycologists to get better understanding of this rather perplexed genus.
