Deceiving Bolete

Description

The deceiving bolete is a bolete with a cap 5-15 cm across, matt, finely downy, at first ochre-yellow to brown, then with a tinge from orange to brick-red. The pores are olive-yellow, then orange, and the flesh is yellow, red at the base of the stem. All damaged parts turn blue. The stem is olive-lemon-yellow at the top, red lower down, smooth or faintly dotted, always without a net.

It grows from May to October in light broadleaved forests in warm areas, under oaks and beeches. In Poland it is rare and threatened with extinction.

It is easily confused with the lurid bolete and other red-pored, blueing boletes, among which there are harmful species. Because of its rarity in Poland it should not be collected; if you have any doubts, do not eat it.

Identification features

Cap

Diameter 5-15 cm; convex, gradually flattened, matt, finely downy. At first ochre-yellow to brown (in descriptions also olive to red-brown), then with a reddish tinge - from orange to brick-red or blood-red. Turns blue when damaged.

Hymenophore (underside of the cap)

Tubes 15-30 mm long, adnate or notched, at first golden-yellow, then olive-yellow; turn blue when damaged. Pores roundish or slightly angular, olive-yellow when young, then orange-yellow, finally dirty olive (in descriptions also yellow, quickly orange, finally reddish).

Stem

Length 4-15 cm, thickness 1-3.5 cm; thickened when young, then cylindrical or tapered spindle-like. Under the cap olive-lemon-yellow or yellow-gold, lower down dirty red or carmine, at the base red to brown-red; smooth or faintly dotted, always without a net.

Flesh

Yellow, red or purple at the base of the stem; turns blue when broken. Smell slight, taste mild (according to some descriptions slightly sour). The raw flesh should not be tasted.

Spore print and spores

Spore print olive. Spores spindle-shaped, smooth, brownish to olive-brown; dimensions 8-15 × 5-7 µm (descriptions give different ranges).

Habitat and distribution

Ecology. A mycorrhizal fungus (ectomycorrhiza) with oaks and beeches, also with hazel; grows in light broadleaved forests in warm areas, at lower altitudes.

Distribution. According to some descriptions only in Europe; according to others also recorded in Taiwan. Rare in Poland; Red list 2006: E (endangered). Also on the red lists of, among others, Czechia, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Slovakia. Not legally protected in Poland (Dz.U. 2014 item 1408), but because of its rarity it is recommended not to collect it.

Fruiting. From May to October.

What can it be confused with?

• Suillellus luridus (lurid bolete) — Also turns blue and has a wine-red lower stem, but the stem has a distinct net; the deceiving bolete never has one.
• Neoboletus erythropus (dotted stem bolete) — Cap dark brown, pores red, stem densely covered with carmine dots; in the deceiving bolete the cap is olive-brown to brick-red, pores orange, stem smooth or faintly dotted.
• Suillellus comptus, Rubroboletus satanas and other red-pored boletes — Species of similar appearance; detailed differences relative to this species - no data.

Never rely on a single feature. If you are not sure — do not pick it; show the mushroom to a qualified mushroom expert.

Interesting facts

• The epithet queletii was given in honour of the French mycologist Lucien Quélet.
• According to Funga Nordica this is the species Persoon described in 1796 as Boletus erythropus, so for about 200 years that name was applied to a different mushroom.
• It is on the red lists of threatened species in many European countries (including Czechia, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia).
• The English name "deceiving bolete" means a bolete that misleads.