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Summer Bolete
(30 votes, average: 4.07 out of 5)
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Summer Bolete
A great mushroom to find in Summer, very similar to the Penny Bun and in the same gastronomic league with some opinions divided about which one is best.
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Summer Bolete (EN), Summer Cep, Cap Tyllog yr Haf (CY), Borowik Usiatkowany (PL), Nyári Vargánya (HU) |
| Scientific Name | Boletus reticulatus |
| Synonyms | Boletus aestivalis |
| Season Start | Jun |
| Season End | Aug |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 10-14 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 7-12 |
Please note that each and every mushroom you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.
Cap
7-12 cm. Starting slightly velvety becoming finely cracked. Pale brown to brown yellow.
Pores
Has very small white pores which can yellow a bit with age.
Stem
10-14 cm long, 2-5 cm diameter. Can have a barrel shaped or parallel off white stem overlaid with a mesh that is lighter towards the cap.
Flesh
White slightly yellowing with age.
Habitat
Mainly with Beech and Oak but can grow with other broad leaved trees.
Possible Confusion
No poisonous mushrooms look similar, all the poisonous Boletes such as the Devil’s Bolete (Rubroboletus satanas) are either very red in the flesh or sponge, or stain blue immediately on cutting.
You could potentially confuse this mushroom with the Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus), which although not poisonous will ruin any meal you are unfortunate enough to add this mushroom to. A little nibble of the mushroom when raw will soon identify it with the Summer Bolete being delicious and the Bitter Bolete being as bitter as sin! A better way to distinguish the two is that the Summer Bolete has a lighter net like mesh on a slightly darker stem, the Bitter Bolete has a darker mesh on a lighter stem, pictured.
Could be confused with a Penny Bun (Boletus edulis) but the Penny Bun usually has a whiter stem, a white border around the edge of the cap, firmer flesh and comes out in late Summer and Autumn.
Spore Print
Olive brown. Subfusiform.
Taste / Smell
Very good but not as strong as the Penny Bun.
Frequency
Occasional.
Other Facts
In March 2025 the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) added 1000 fungal species to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN (Global) Conservation Status of Summer Bolete (Boletus reticulatus) is: LC – Least Concern, with stable population. For more information, see on the following link.
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