Rosy spike

Description:

Although it has gills, it is a member of the order Boletales, along with the boletes. It is a coral pink-capped mushroom which appears in pine forests in autumn.

Habitat:

Consistently under Scots pines on nutrient-poor soil together with the Bovine bolete.

Notes:

For a long time it was unknown why the Rosy spike and the Bovine bolete were found growing together so often. it is now known that the Rosy spike is a mycorrhizal parasite and that it taps into the root connecting the Bovine bolete with the Scots pine. This process therefore supplements its nutrient supply at the cost of the Bovine bolete - Blacks nature guides: Mushrooms & toadstools of Britain and Europe