Species Identity Crisis in the Genus Suillus

Mushrooms in the genus Suillus are often hard to identify because of the lack of distinct morphological characters, and when present, these characters fade away with age and environmental conditions such as rain. DNA sequencing of a large set of specimens, as well as type specimens help us understand why certain species are so difficult to tell apart. I will talk about why it's difficult to identify Suillus, the species that we may encounter in western North America, particularly in California, why certain of these species look so similar to each other and how certain names might change in the future.

Speaker: Nhu Nguyen