Orange Bolete

Cap

7-15 cm. Fox orange/brown but light blue/green where damaged. Starting ovate opening to broadly convex and staying like that until finally flattening out a bit with age, can be slightly downy especially when young. The top edge of the cap overhangs the pores which can help with identification.

Pores

Off white to cream quite tightly packed pores which can bruise grey with a slight pink hue.

Stem

12-18 cm long, 1.5-4 cm diameter. Off white background covered in orange/brown floccules. Usually starts quite bulbous and short but thins out and elongates becoming almost straight with age.

Flesh

White when first cut but turning dark grey with hints of purple after a couple of minutes.

Habitat

Grows with Oaks but can more often be found with Poplar or Aspen and can also be found with Beech and Birch.

Possible Confusion

Orange Birch Bolete (Leccinum versipelle), pictured, is very similar but only grows with Birch, has a lighter cap colour and has dark brown to black floccules on the stem unlike the orange/brown floccules of the Orange Bolete.

Aspen Bolete (Leccinum albostipitatum) is a rare find in the UK and it grows exclusively with Poplar and Aspen. Its stem is initially white and the floccules turning reddish with age.

Foxy Bolete (Leccinum vulpinum) can be found under Pine and Spruce and it bruises blue-green at the stem base.

Spore Print

Olivaceous brown. Ellipsoid to fusiform.

Taste / Smell

A good tasting firm fleshed mushroom. Must be well cooked before consumption.

Frequency

Not overly common.