Boletae are types of mushrooms whose hats have spongy tissue underneath. The species belong to the families of the thick bolete and smear bolete relatives. Only a few species are poisonous, which is why boletus mushrooms are popular mushrooms for beginners.

porcini mushrooms

They are characterized by a striking growth habit. Porcini mushrooms appear compact with bulbous stalks, on which initially domed and later cushion-shaped to hemispherical hats grow. The pulp has a mild mushroom taste, which is rounded off by a nutty to almond-like aroma. There are numerous boletus mushrooms, which are referred to by laypeople as porcini because of their difficulty in distinguishing. These stand out from similar representatives of the genus by initially white and in old age pale yellow tubes. When you cut the flesh, it doesn't discolour, but stays light-colored.

Birch porcini

  • scientific name: Boletus betulicola
  • very good edible mushroom with a pleasant aroma
  • Cap: light, ocher-brown to bronze-colored, moist to the touch and greasy to the touch with age
  • Stem: brownish with white markings
  • tubes: initially whitish, later rich yellow to ocher yellow
  • Habitat: Deciduous forests with birches
Source: jacilluch, Boletus (15500266978), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0

Oak boletus

  • scientific name: Boletus aestivalis
  • one of the few boletus that can also be eaten raw
  • Cap: finely tomentose-fibrous, variable brown colouration
  • Stem: hazel to leather brown, raised web and colored light brownish to white
  • tubes: initially whitish, later creamy-yellow to green-yellow
  • Habitat: Deciduous forests with beech and oak
Source: BoletusAestivalis.JPG.webp: Archenzo derivative work: Ak ccm (talk), 2006-10-07 Boletus aestivalis cropped, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Spruce porcini

  • scientific name: Boletus edulis
  • can also be eaten raw
  • Cap: hazelnut to chestnut brown, rarely red to dark brown, always with a yellowish-white border
  • Stem: white to brownish with a fine white net
  • tubes: initially whitish, later cream-colored to greenish-yellow
  • Habitat: preferably in mixed forests with spruce, pine and fir
Source: H. Krisp, (Common Boletus) Boletus edulis, edited from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0

Black-hatted porcini

  • scientific name: Boletus aereus
  • Synonym: bronze boletus
  • edible but relatively rare
  • Cap: coffee-brown to almost black with tawny spots
  • Stem: pale dark to leathery brown with a fine white to light brownish web
  • tubes: initially whitish, later cream-colored to green-yellow
  • Habitat: heat-favored oak and beech forests
Source: Roberto1974, Boletus aereus IT, edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

Brown Caps

A species that is on par with porcini mushrooms from an edible point of view is also known as brown cap. Typical for this representative of the boletus is the firm flesh with a whitish to lemon-yellow colour, which turns greenish-blue on contact with air. These tubular mushrooms are among the popular and widespread edible mushrooms whose main season extends from mid-September to late autumn. Originally, brown caps were counted among the porcini mushrooms, but as a result of intensive research, brown caps are now a separate species. Their taste is reminiscent of the mild aroma of porcini mushrooms.

chestnut boletus

  • scientific name: Imleria badia, also Boletus badius
  • Cap: dark to chestnut brown coloration, partly lighter reddish brown to olive brown
  • Stem: brown to yellowish brown and paler than the cap
  • tubes: initially whitish to creamy yellow, later olive yellow to dirty olive green, bluing when pressed
  • Habitat: prefers spruce forests, also under larches
  • Confused with porcini mushrooms and gall boletus
Chestnut boletus (Xerocomus badius)

Notice: The edible giant snail is also known as the brown cap. However, it does not belong to the tubular mushrooms, but is a representative of the mushroom-like ones.

redcaps

The whitish stalk covered with black-brown scales is typical of these boletus. They are reminiscent of clinging dirt and make the bark appear dirty. This scaling brought the species, which can easily be confused with each other, the designation "rough feet". Young specimens have a bulbous stem that gets longer and longer with age and appears cylindrical to slightly clavate. Red caps are very good edible mushrooms with a very pleasant mushroom taste. When injured, their flesh shows variable discolorations ranging from red to pink to blue, green and black.

Notice: Even if the flesh of the red caps turns black during cooking, the taste is in no way affected. The species are distinctive and clearly distinguishable from poisonous boletus mushrooms.

birch red cap

  • scientific name: Leccinum versipelle
  • Edible, but should be well cooked
  • Cap: brick-like color, yellow-orange or brown-reddish
  • Stem: usually remarkably thick
  • tubes: yellowish to greyish when young, later lighter
  • Habitat: on sandy loam soils under birch trees
Source: Aorg1961, Birch Red Cap, Heather Red Cap - Koźlarz pomarańczowy, koźlarz pomarańczowożółty - Leccinum versipelle, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

oak red cap

  • scientific name: Leccinum aurantiacum
  • excellent taste, better than birch mushrooms
  • cap: yellow-orange, orange-red or orange-brown; rarely ocher to yellow-brown
  • Stem: slightly protruding scales, initially whitish, later appearing brick-orange
  • Tubes: whitish to light cream-grey for a long time, only olive to greyish-yellow when old
  • Habitat: under aspens and aspens
Source: About field station from Russia, 2010-09-13 Leccinum aurantiacum 6555643513, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0

Common Birch Mushroom

  • scientific name: Leccinum scabrum, also Boletus scaber
  • tastes mild but slightly sour
  • Cap: light gray-brown to reddish-grey-brown, sometimes with yellowish tones
  • Stem: slender, tapering towards the top
  • Tubes: initially whitish, later gray and very spongy
  • Habitat: under birches
  • common confusion with porcini mushrooms
Source: 2007-10-13_Leccinum_scabrum_(Bull.)_Gray_12300.jpg.webp: This image was created by user vesna maric (kalipso) at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images.
You can contact this user here. German | espanol | french | italiano | macedonian | മലയാളം | portugues | +/− derivative work: Ak ccm (talk), 2007-10-13 Leccinum scabrum (Bull.) Gray 12300 crop, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Tip: The flesh of these tubular mushrooms can be easily detached from the tubes. You should collect the boletes when they are young, because then the flesh is relatively firm and does not contain water.

spruce redcap

  • scientific name: Leccinum piceinum
  • tastes mild and slightly sour
  • Cap: brown-red to orange-brown and finely felted
  • Stem: Scales become denser towards the bottom
  • tubes: dirty whitish-grey, grey-brown, tawny or brown
  • Habitat: under spruces, between blueberries
Source: Colin Rose from Montreal, Canada, Leccinum piceinum, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0

grease bolets

Boletus relatives represent the second large family within the boletus. These boletus mushrooms are popular edible mushrooms, although their taste is often mildly sour. They are medium-sized and are characterized by a particularly soft flesh. The older the fungi get, the greasy the skin of the hat appears. In some species, however, this remains felty and dry. The butter bolete is considered a type species for boletes. Most of these boletus mushrooms are tied to specific trees.

butter mushroom

  • scientific name: Suillus luteus
  • tastes sour, not suitable for sensitive stomachs
  • Cap: brown and shiny, very slimy
  • Stem: yellow in color with a brown-purple ring and brownish dots
  • Tube mushrooms with lemon-yellow tubes
  • Habitat: under pine trees
Source: Björn S… , Solingen 09/23/2017 Slippery Jack - Suillus luteus (23973332568), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0

gold boletus

  • scientific name: Suillus grevillei
  • Synonyms: golden yellow larch boletus, gold cap
  • edible, but tastes bland and sometimes musty
  • Cap: golden to orange yellow, occasionally orange to rusty brown or lemon yellow
  • Stem: dark orange to brownish below, colored like the tubes above the ring zone
  • tubes: initially yellow, later brownish
  • Habitat: under larches
Source: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, Boletus Suillus grevillei. (16424322871), Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

sand boletus

  • scientific name: Suillus variegatus
  • Synonyms: velvet boletus, millet mushroom
  • pleasantly mild and mushroomy aroma
  • Cap: yellow to olive grey, cap skin granular to felt-like, slightly roughened to dull
  • Stem: yellowish and finely granulated brown, turning slightly to moderately blue when injured
  • tubes: initially brownish to rusty yellow, later dirty olive brown
  • Habitat: under pine trees
Jerzy Opioła, Suillus variegatus T31, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Xerocomellus

These boletus mushrooms are smaller and slimmer than porcini mushrooms. Even when it rains, their hat skin is not slimy, but dry. The cap is centrally stalked, with the narrow stalk being very soft and having no or greatly reduced bark. Occasionally this appears with longitudinal stripes. Typical for red-footed boletus is the lively coloring and the felty cap skin. Their pulp tastes mild. Since they do not form a typical web, they can easily be mistaken for poisonous species.

Common red-footed boletus

  • scientific name: Xerocomellus chrysenteron
  • recommended as a mixed mushroom because of the sour aroma
  • Cap: brownish, hat skin felty to velvety, tears open later, cap appears cracked with reddish furrows
  • Stem: reddish dotted and flaked, net drawing is absent
  • tubes: yellow to olive yellow
  • Habitat: mixed forests
  • Confused with bile boletus
Source: Xerocomus_chrysenteron_a1.jpg.webp: Jerzy Opioła derivative work: Ak ccm, 2012-07-10 Xerocomellus chrysenteron crop, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Fake redfoot

  • scientific name: Xerocomellus porosporus
  • Synonyms: Dusky red-footed boletus
  • mild and slightly sour taste, takes on the aroma of other mushrooms
  • Cap: Hazel to beige, tomentose and tearing open, furrows less red than in other red-footed boletus
  • Stem: yellowish to white-grey or grey-yellow, rarely dotted with red
  • Boletus with yellow colored tubes
  • Habitat: mixed forests
  • Confused with bile boletus
Source: Björn S., Xerocomellus porosporus - panoramio (2), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

autumn redfoot

  • scientific name: Xerocomellus pruinatus
  • Synonym: Frosted red-footed boletus
  • tastes sour, but less maggot-like than other red-footed boletus
  • Cap: brownish and felty, tearing open, later with red furrows
  • Stem: reddish dotted to flaky, but without network markings
  • Tubes: yellow
  • Habitat: mixed forests
  • Confused with bile boletus
Source: Strobilomyces, Xerocomellus pruinatus 041031w, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Other boletus mushrooms

Numerous mushrooms were originally counted among the porcini mushrooms, which can be seen from the synonymous scientific names. Species of the genus Neoboletus bear strong similarities to porcini mushrooms. Its flesh is firm and pale to light yellow in colour. If it is injured or compressed, it quickly turns dark blue.

Flake-stemmed witch boletus

  • scientific name: Neoboletus luridiformis
  • Synonym: Gypsy
  • productive boletus with a mild and pleasant mushroom taste
  • Cap: dark brown, rarely light brown with olive green nuances
  • Stem: yellow to brownish yellow in color, covered with fine flakes
  • Tubes: yellowish with an olive-green tinge, pressure points turn blue
  • Habitat: common forest mushroom, preferably under conifers
  • Confused with Satan's boletus
Source: H. Krisp, Flake-stemmed witch bolete, edited from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0

Smooth-stemmed witch boletus

  • scientific name: Suillellus queletii, also Boletus queletii
  • very rare tubular mushrooms with a mild taste
  • Cap: from brownish and ruby red, through brick to copper and dark carmine red
  • Stem: colored light yellow at the top, wine to garnet red at the bottom, finely powdered
  • Tubes: initially lemon yellow, later golden yellow and finally pale olive green
  • Habitat: Deciduous forests and parks
  • Confused with Satan's Boletus, Flaky-stemmed Witch's Bolete
Source: This image was created by user Gerhard Koller (Gerhard) at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images.
You can contact this user here. German | espanol | french | italiano | macedonian | മലയാളം | portugues | +/−, 2012-07-22 Boletus queletii Schulzer 253584, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

pepper boletus

  • scientific name: Chalciporus piperatus, also Boletus piperatus
  • peppery hot, sharpness decreases a little when drying and cooking
  • Cap: reddish brown in colour, uneven to slightly humped and tomentose or sticky
  • Stem: remarkably thin, brownish to yellowish on the outside, yellow on the inside
  • Tube fungi with large pores and brown to reddish-brown tubes
  • Habitat: Mixed forests, preferably on acidic soil
  • Likelihood of confusion: hard to confuse
Source: Jerzy Opioła, Chalciporus piperatus BŻ4, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

goat lip

  • scientific name: Xerocomus subtomentosus, also Boletus subtomentosus
  • Synonyms: Mushrooms are also known as felty boletus
  • mild edible mushroom
  • Hat: grey-brown, slightly pink under the hat skin, hat skin felty
  • Stem: long and slender, lightly mottled with brownish to almost entirely white, with age the tip is twisted and reddish
  • Tubes: initially chrome to ocher yellow, later yellow to green-brown, occasionally bluing slightly
  • Habitat: mixed forests
Source: Strobilomyces, Xerocomus subtomentosus 031102Aw, edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Toxic doubles

Poisonous tubular mushrooms belong to different genera and are characterized by typical features. The combination of a reddish hat with yellow tubes and a reddish web on yellow stalks is characteristic of the species of the genus Rubroboletus, which includes the boletus. If injured, the pulp turns blue. This vibrant color combination is shared by species in this genus with the Caloboletus mushrooms. They also have yellow tubes. The hat skin, which is covered by interwoven fungal threads, is typical of these species. Their flesh turns blue when injured and tastes distinctly bitter. In order to distinguish toxic and inedible types of edible mushrooms, several characteristics should be examined in more detail.

bitter bolete

  • scientific name: Caloboletus radicans
  • Synonyms: rooting bitter boletus, bitter fungus
  • Bolete mushrooms are considered inedible because of their strong bitterness
  • Cap: gray to off-white or brown-grey, spotted
  • Stem: yellowish with a yellowish-brownish net, gets reddish to brown-red spots when pressed
  • Tubes: yellowish to olive-yellow, pressure points turning intense blue
  • Habitat: deciduous forests, under oak, beech and linden trees
  • Confused with porcini mushrooms
Source: Pumber, Gyökeres, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

bile boletus

  • scientific name: Tylopilus felleus
  • Synonyms: common gall boletus, bitter boletus, bitter mushroom
  • Due to their strong bitterness, boletus are considered inedible, although mild variants also occur
  • Hat: light brown, sometimes dark brown
  • Stem: light brownish with brown net, lighter towards the top
  • Tubes: initially white, later pink, turns dark pink when pressure is applied
  • Habitat: Mixed and coniferous forests, preferably on acidic soil
Source: Pumber, Epeízű, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Web-handled witch boletus

  • scientific name: Suillellus luridus
  • Synonyms: red stocking, sow mushroom, net witch
  • Bolete mushrooms are poisonous if alcohol is consumed at the same time, otherwise edible
  • Cap: light to dark brown or buff to grey-brown, often with an olive hue, surface bluing and velvety to sticky
  • Stem: with a reddish to reddish or dark brown network pattern on a yellowish background, often with a shiny reddish tinge
  • tubes: yellow, orange-yellow to almost wine-red
  • Habitat: deciduous forests
  • Confused with Flakestemmed Witch Boletus or Satan Boletus
Source: Sava Krstic (sava), 2011-07-07 Boletus luridus 71775, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Satan's Boletus

  • scientific name: Rubroboletus satanas
  • Synonyms: Devil's Mushroom, Satan's Purple Bolete
  • poisonous mushrooms with a mild taste
  • Cap: initially gray-white to gravel-colored, older ocher, buff-colored to greenish and irregularly convex
  • Stem: distinctly red to blood-red net on a yellow background
  • tubes: first pale yellow, finally green-yellow to pale blue-green
  • Odour: faint when young and later intensely carrion-like
  • Habitat: Deciduous forests, preferably on calcareous soils
Source: H. Krisp, Satan's boletus Boletus satanas, Edited from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0

fairfoot boletus

  • scientific name: Caloboletus calopus
  • Synonyms: Hantling, thick-footed boletus, thick-footed
  • poisonous boletus
  • Cap: clay-grey to clay-colored, dry and velvety, irregularly wavy
  • Stem: typically thick-footed to slightly clavate, yellowish at the tip, reddish toward the base of the stem, with a brown-reddish net
  • Tubes: yellowish, bluing when pressed
  • Habitat: mixed forests and coniferous forests
Source: H. Krisp, Boletus calopus, Adapted from Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0

Deceptive Witch Mushroom

  • scientific name: Suillellus mendax
  • Synonym: short-netted witch boletus
  • are toxic with alcohol, but are edible when cooked
  • Cap: dark brown to burgundy or olive brown to gray brown, velvety to sticky,
  • Stem: reddish-brown to dark-brown net markings
  • Tubes: orange-red
  • Habitat: deciduous forests
Source: Xth-Floor, Vrbenské rybníky - Boletus mendax 02, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

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