Boletus truncatus

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

The former Xerocomus chrysenteron group group has now been separated into several species, of which this is one.

This bolete is very similar to Boletus xerocomus, the Red Cracking Bolete, and these two species can only be separated with certainty by microscopic examination of the spores: Boletus truncatus spores are blunt (truncated) at one end, while the spores of Boletrus chrysenteron are round ended.

Identification guide

Cap	4 to 10cm in diameter when fully expanded, the caps have very little substance and the thin flesh blues when cut. Caps of Boletus truncatus tend to crack as they mature, but they do not usually display pink sub-cuticle flesh
Tubes and Pores	The yellow tubes terminate in large, angular pores that are lemon yellow at first but turn greenish with age. When bruised, the pores of mature specimens turn dark blue quite rapidly.
Stem	The stem, which has no ring, is bright yellow and the lower part is covered in coral-red fibrils that give it a 'stick of rhubarb' appearance. 10 to 15mm in diameter and 4 to 8cm tall, the stem is more or less constant in diameter throughout its length. When cut, the cream stem flesh quickly turns blue, most notably near the base of the stem.
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 xerocomus , the Red Cracking Bolete, is similar but usually displays red flesh where the cap cracks; its pores blue more slowly than those of Boletus truncatus . .