Sutorius eximius

Sutorius eximius, commonly known as the lilac-brown bolete, is a species of fungus in the family Boletaceae. This bolete produces fruit bodies that are dark purple to chocolate brown in color with a smooth cap, a finely scaly stipe, and a reddish-brown spore print. The tiny pores on the cap underside are chocolate to violet brown. It is widely distributed, having been recorded on North America, South America, and Asia, where it grows in a mycorrhizal relationship with both coniferous and deciduous trees.

Originally described in 1874 as a species of Boletus, the fungus has also been classified in the genus Leccinum because of the scabers on the stipe, or in Tylopilus because of the color of the spore print. Molecular genetic analysis revealed that the lilac-brown bolete was separate from both of these genera, and merited placement in a new genus. Sutorius was created to contain this bolete and the closely related Australian species S. australiensis.

Although the lilac-brown bolete was once considered edible, caution is typically recommended in modern field guides when considering this bolete for the table after several poisonings were reported in northeastern North America. Symptoms include severe gastrointestinal distress with vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea that generally lasts less than 24 hours.