Boletales E.-J. Gilbert is quite an extensive order of the class Agaricomycetes, containing over
2,450 species belonging to 16 families and ca. 170 genera. During the past two decades, a molecular
revolution in the systematics of Boletales occurred. After detailed phylogenetic studies, it
wasrevealed that two large and iconic genera Boletus s.l. and Xerocomus s.l. are cumbersome and
polyphyletic groups, which must be divided into at least 26 and 13 genera, respectively. Our
long-term study is focused on revision of some xerocomoid genera and genera of the former Boletus
sect. Luridi.
The main issues in Boletales taxonomy are: 1) complex evolution of basidiomes types; 2) similar
morphology evolved in multiple linages; 3) large amount of genera and especially monophyletic
genera; 4) absence group-specific standardization for description of new taxa in Boletales.
Therefore, the International Commission on the Taxonomy of Boletales has been established to improve
and stabilize taxonomy of this group, including the generic concept and delimitation of genera.
Israel belongs to the quite understudied Eastern Mediterranean region in the aspect of fungal
diversity and distribution. And another goal of the study was deep revision of biodiversity of
pileate-stipitate boletoid fungi in Israel. Analysis included fieldwork, macro-and micromorphology
(using light and scanning microscopy), macro- and microchemical reactions, DNA barcoding and
molecular phylogeny. As a result, 32 species and additional two intraspecific taxa belonging to 27
genera and seven families have been detected. Therefore, we found one new family, eight new genera,
18 species and additional tow intraspecific taxa have been reported for the first time in Israel.
Moreover, among them there were discovered four species and two intraspecific taxa new to science.