Red Cracking Bolete - Xerocomellus chrysenteron

Cap 3-8cm, brown and velvety when young but soon cracking to reveal a thin layer of red flesh below the cap skin. The stem is red-streaked on the lower half and yellow towards the cap. Very little, if any, blueing in stem flesh when cut.  The spores are smooth, but this can be hard to confirm microscopically; some other Xerocomellus have finely striated spores.

3 other Xerocomellus species are frequently or occasionally recorded in VC55.  All have dry, brown caps and yellow pores that stain blue when bruised.  Identification can be difficult, and the species have been much confused in the past.

• Matt Bolete (X. pruinatus) is associated with Beech.  The cap is usually darker plum-brown or red brown, not cracking, and has a narrow red margin.
• Bluefoot Bolete (X. cisalpinus) is associated with deciduous and coniferous trees, including Oak. It has a zone of red flesh under the cap surface  revealed when it cracked or nibbled.  The flesh of the stipe and cap slowly stains slowly blue throughout when cut; the surface of the stipe also stains blue a few minutes after it is bruised.
• Sepia Bolete (X. porosporus) is associated with deciduous and coniferous trees, including Oak.  The cap cracks to reveal cream flesh, not red.  The grey-brown stipe usually has a narrow red zone below the yellow apex.

Old/damaged specimens should not be recorded.  Photograph a fresh specimen from top down and in side view, and underneath to show pores and full length of stipe.  Note habitat and substrate. Check for staining on cap, pores and stem base when cut and then bruised.   We recommend that your record is confirmed from a specimen by an expert before submission to NatureSpot.

Under conifers or occasionally beech; not found under oak

Usually August to November, but sometimes earlier.

The identification of this fungus seems to be very uncertain, and it has probably been mistakenly identified in the past and thus over-recorded.  Earlier field guides may describe it as being present under broadleaved trees, including oak, but it is now considered to be associated with conifers, or occasionally beech.  See Kibby, G. (2017) British Boletes with keys to species (8th edn.) for more details.

A similar species found in North America is described as being associated with oaks. See MushroomExpert.com website.