Boletus edulis - Cep or Penny Bun Bolete

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Boletus edulis, known as the Cep or Penny-bun Bolete, is a most sought-after edible bolete. It is frequently found at the edge of clearings in broad-leaved and coniferous forests.

When gathering these mushrooms for the table, those that are fully developed but still young are best of all. Caps can be very large (up to 30cm across), and so a family feast requires just a few of these mushrooms.

Identification guide

	Cap With its slightly greasy surface and 'penny bun' surface texture, the yellow-brown to reddish-brown caps of Boletus edulis range from 10 to 30cm diameter at maturity. The margin is usually a lighter colour than the rest of the cap; and when cut, the cap flesh remains white, with no hint of bluing.
	Tubes and Pores The tubes (seen when the cap is broken or sliced) are pale yellow or olive-brown and are easily removed from the cap; they end in very small white or yellowish pores. When bruised, the pores and tubes do not change colour (as the pores of some otherwise quite similar species do).
	Stem A faint white net pattern is generally visible on the cream background of the stem. Clavate (club-shaped) or barrel-shaped, the stem is 10 to 20cm tall and up to 10cm in diameter at its widest point. The stem flesh is white and solid.
Spore print	Olive-brown.
Odour/taste	Faint pleasant smell and mild nutty taste.
Habitat	On soil beneath trees, notably beech and less commonly oak.
Season	June to October.
Occurrence	Fairly frequent.
Similar species	Tylopilus felleus has a darker stem and pinkish tinge to its pores; it has a very bitter taste.