Pine Boletus

[Conchiolin]

Check this out. I found these mushrooms under a pine tree near dingli cliffs. this photo was taken in November last year. These mushrooms grow under the pine trees that is why they are known as 'Faqqiegh taz-Znuber' These mushrooms becoming a bit hard to find. Note that these specimens are a bit old since the caps are turned slightly up. notice also the underside of the caps which is sort of spongy and does not have any gills like the Pleurotus Eryngii (King Oyster Mushroom which also grows on the Maltese Islands).
My question is are these fungi parasitic ?

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[MWP admin]

Pine mushrooms are mycorrhizal, meaning they have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of living trees, rather than a saprophytic one that feeds on dead trees. Probably you know what symbiotic means , but in few words, the pine gets a benefit from the mushrooms, and viceversa, so does the mushrooms from the pine.

You might google for more info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_mushroom

[Conchiolin]

thank you very much for the useful info