Described from a collection made in Jackson County, Oregon (Trappe & Castellano 2000).

The genus Gastroboletus accommodates a number of species with semisequestrate to sequestrate fruitbodies. These morphological forms have evolved multiple times, within different genera of boletes. Some of these species have been transferred to their ancestral genera, whiles others remain in limbo. Preliminary data show that Gastroboletus amyloideus and G. vividus form a closely-knit group with Boletus smithii (J. Frank pers. comm), and more work is needed to delimit species concepts. 

Gastroboletus vividus is a brightly colored species, with a slightly deformed fruitbody. Features include a yellow, red blushed to extensively red cap, bright yellow pores when young, which become red in age, and a short yellow stipe with a rosy red band at the apex. Typically all parts lack blue staining, or will erratically stain blue on older fruitbodies.
It is very similar to Gastroboletus amyloideus, and collections may be reported under that name. It is currently known from ten sites in California, and five in Oregon. However, modern taxonomic work, and targeted surveys for this species is needed before a proper assessment can be made. Therefore I recommend listing it as Data Deficient (DD).

Scattered in high elevation forest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, USA, and the Cascade Range in California and southern Oregon.

Rare. Currently known from fifteen sites; ten of which are in California, in high elevation forests. Data is limited, but it is possibly restricted to mature and old growth forests. More work is needed to identify habitat preferences and trends of this species.

Solitary, scattered or in small clusters; fruitbodies forming underground, typically remaining buried, or occasionally erupting from duff when mature. Ectomycorrhizal, associated with Pinaceae, especially Red Fir (Abies magnifica), Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana), and Mountain Hemlock, (Tsuga mertensiana) in high elevation forests. This species is possibly restricted to mature and old growth forests. Fruiting in summer and early fall, typically after monsoon rains.

This species is likely dependent on mycophagy (primarily eaten by small mammals) for spore dispersal.

Prolonged droughts and decades of fire suppression have drastically altered the high sierra forest, leading to thicker, denser, Abies dominated forest. As a result, hotter, stand replacing fires (rather than patchwork and understory burns) are commonplace, altering appropriate habitat drastically, and making it ill-suited for this species.

Protect known sites from management activities, including logging, fuels reduction, or other development and disturbance.

Targeted surveys in the Sierra Nevada in California. Modern taxonomic work is needed on this species, to delimit species concepts with Gastroboletus amyloideus and Boletus smithii.

None known.

MyCoPortal. Mycology Collections Portal. Available at: http://mycoportal.org

Siegel, N., Vellinga, E.C., Schwarz, C., Castellano, M.A. and Ikeda, D. 2019. A Field Guide to the Rare Fungi of California’s National Forests. Bookmobile: Minneapolis, MN. 313 p.

Thiers, H.D. 1975. California Mushrooms – A Field Guide to the Boletes. Hafner Press.

Trappe, J.M. and Castellano, M.A. 2000. New sequestrate Ascomycota and Basidiomycota covered by the Northwest Forest Plan. Mycotaxon 75: 153–179.