# New Insights from Two Historic Boletellus-Type Specimens in China Based on Next-Generation Sequencing

## TL;DR

This study uses DNA sequencing to reclassify two historic mushroom species from China, resolving long-standing taxonomic uncertainties.

## Contribution

The study provides new taxonomic classifications for two historic Boletellus-type specimens using genome-skimming and NGS.

## Key findings

- B. serpentipileus is reclassified as Leccinum serpentipileum and no longer belongs to the Boletellus genus.
- B. vulgaris is synonymized with A. fusisporus and is now classified under Austroboletus.
- The integration of NGS data and morphological analysis clarifies the taxonomic status of these historic specimens.

## Abstract

Boletellus is a morphologically distinctive genus within the family Boletaceae, characterized by basidiospores with longitudinally striate ornamentation. Although the species diversity of this genus in China has been well documented in recent years, several historically described species published by early Chinese mycologists have been largely overlooked. To clarify the taxonomic identities of these historic Boletellus species from China, this study applied a genome-skimming approach to perform next-generation sequencing (NGS) on the historical type specimens of B. serpentipileus and B. vulgaris. The integration of NGS data with Sanger sequencing and morphological re-examination enabled a comprehensive taxonomic reassessment, which revealed that B. serpentipileus and B. vulgaris are not members of Boletellus, but belong to Leccinum and Austroboletus, respectively. Accordingly, the new combination Leccinum serpentipileum is proposed, and B. vulgaris is further synonymized with A. fusisporus. These findings resolve long-standing taxonomic uncertainties and contribute to a more accurate understanding of bolete diversity in China.