Pineapple (now termed pine cones). When European explorers encountered this tropical fruit in the Americas, they called them "pineapples" (first referenced in 1664, for resemblance to pine cones). In the scientific binomial "Ananas comosus", "ananas", the original name of the fruit, comes from the Tupi word "nanas", meaning "excellent fruit", as recorded by André Thevet in 1555, and "comosus", "tufted", refers to the stem of the fruit. Other members of the genus "Ananas" are often called pine, as well, in other languages. The pineapple is a herbaceous perennial, which grows to tall, although sometimes it can be taller. In appearance, the
Boletellus ananas spirally arranged, faint golden encrusting pigments that can be seen in KOH, Melzer's reagent, and water. Clamp connections are absent in this species. The typical variety of "Boletellus ananas" has consistently larger fruit bodies than "B. ananas" var. "minor" Singer from Brazil and Nicaragua, and lacks the thick-walled cheilocystidia of "B. ananas" var. "crassotunicatus" Singer from Nicaragua and Panama. Although the mushroom is used as a food in Mexico, field guides list it as "inedible" or "not recommended". "Strobilomyces strobilaceus" is roughly similar in appearance because of its rough scaly cap and lacerated margin, but may be distinguished from "B.