Boletus badius - Bay Bolete

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Boletus badius (syn. Xerocomus badius), the Bay Bolete, is common in spruce and pine forests and occasionally appears under oak, beech and chestnut trees.

Late summer and autumn is the main season for this good edible bolete, which is comparable in flavour with Boletus edulis, the Cep or Penny Bun, and has the advantage of being leff frequently infested with maggots..

Identification guide

Cap	With its smooth bay brown or chestnut coloured cap, this large bolete is instantly recognisable. When immature, the caps are downy. Growing to between 5 and 15cm in diameter, the caps have firm, pale flesh that turns slightly blue when cut.
Tubes and Pores	At first pale yellow, the tubes terminate in large angular pores that turn blue-green when bruised. The colour change is sudden and most marked in mature specimens, and a deep blue stain is left on the hands.
Stem	The brown stem is covered in fine cottony threads that give it a streaky appearance. there is no ring, and the stem is more or less even in diameter. Typically 2 to 3cm in diameter, the stems of this species are usually slightly curved and vary from 5 to 15cm in height. The flesh inside the stem is white or pale lemon and turns slightly blue when it is cut.
Spore print	Olivaceous-brown.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	In mixed woodland; particularly common under beech trees.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	A fairly common species.
Similar species	Boletus edulis, the Cep or Penny Bun Bolete, sometimes has a bay brown cap, but the reticulate net pattern on its pale stem helps to distinguish it from the Bay Bolete, Boletus badius.