Boletus Edulis? and a bonus 'shroom

[Steve Wurzel]

My first post and I'm very glad to have found this Funghi forum as I was contemplating learning Italian!!

I'm a beginner at shrooming, having simply photographed most mushrooms for the past few years, and only daring to eat a few very easy to identify edibles.


I plucked this mighty shroom from under a very mature beech tree (see "other 'shroom" for tree), and immediately assumed it was a Cep or Pennybun aka Boletus Edulis but I needed a positive ID.

Unfortunately having googled every site with photos it didn't seem quite to match what I've found and the nearest match was this badius Xerocomus_badius but the bluestain wasn't a feature of mine.

However I did get a match eventually with the site you recommend Rogers Mushrooms Image No7240

Rogers Mushrooms - Boletus edulis Mushroom

Having made that ID which has taken a week, I'm dissapointed I didn't try a small sample, but it's chopped and drying in the conservatory so all is not lost


However what is perplexing me is why have I only found one photo on the internet so far that was a positive match, so I'd appreciate confirmation of the ID and perhaps name this potential new variety Boletus Edulis var Wurzeli

Other info as requested for ID..

1/ date fungus was found 20.10.2007

where - probably mature beech roots, Somerset, England

2/ take pics of the fungus before you pick - the bottom two "bonus shrooms" are on the same tree as the Boletus was found under.

3/ pick the fungus, taking care to include the base - it is complete.

4/ note the following features:
gills or pores? - Pores

colour of gills/pores - white/light yellow turning bright yellow within 4 hours from the centre outward.

size of cap and length of stem - (approx) cap 15cm dia, stem 19cm long

shape of cap - convex

colour of cap and stem - cap deep chestnut brown lightening at edge, stem brown/white net

does it have a 'ring' around the stem - no ring found

smell a beautiful fairly strong creamy mushroomy smell saying "eat me!!"

does the fungus bruise a different colour when damaged? - yes, the bright yellow pores darken to dark yellow turning light brown over the course of several hours.

5/ cut the fungus vertically and note: are the gills attached to the stem, - see photo

6/ Note colour of spore print. n/a, possibly too late to get one


Photos in situ, probably 4m from tree, just outside canopy..




I'm fairly certain those are beech leaves..




approx 5 hours after picking, yellow pores are much brighter..




fairly solid stem, no change of colour once cut..




nice chestnut brown cap, it was shinier outdoors..




bonus mushrooms growing on the same beech..




VERY slimy to touch..



I know that's probably too much info for a quick ID, but if it helps someone make a very positive ID then it's worth it as probably will eat the dried remnants based on my current ID!!

Thanks in advance.

[GerryNick2]

Hi and welcome to the site.

Your second fungi is Porcelain Fungus - Oudemansiella mucida.

Not sure about the Bolete, dont think it is edulis, first thoughts were Bay Bolete - Boletus badius but would have expected blueing of the pores. Will leave this one to the experts.

Gerry

[Leif]

The first one is a Penny Bun.

[Fungus Ken]

Yes, Boletus edulis and in the description you have already noted another important feature that would separate it from Boletus badius - the raised white network on the stem. Boletus badius does not have this.

Ken

[Steve Wurzel]

Excellent response, thanks

Now I've honed my target, I have indeed found more matching photos, but it's still fairly rare to see a Boletus Edulis quite like that.. so I'm sticking with var. Wurzeli and you can chuckle to yourself you ever come across one that looks similar!!

Here's some more similar photos (last 5) and you can see the difference plainly from the common format B. Edulis on this page, possibly it's an aging effect that causes the darker stem and yellowing pores, but the stem does appear more slender than most, consistent with the ones on this link..

Visual Fungi - Boletus Edulis - Penny Bun


Bonus shroom prize to GerryNick2, Porcelain Fungus - Oudemansiella mucida which does appear as a poor edible on some lists, but not on the official French list les champignons comestibles... so I'll class it as non-edible.. (as opposed to toxic or deadly) but very pretty I must say.

Thanks again. I have another puzzling me, I'll post it up later.

[Leif]

That is a fairly typical form for Boletus edulis. I agree that they so vary quite a bit. It might be the habitat, as ones I find in grass always look like that. The forms photographed by Phillips in his books look like none that I find.

Many years ago I used to find some in the New Forest which had bulbous stems - 4" or more at the bottom, narrow at the top - with a small cap often narrower than the stem. I am pretty sure they were B. edulis. I've also noticed that Penny Buns often have a small bright yellow region in the base of the stem. I have never seen it commented on, but I used to see it often, though they are a bit rare these days given the weather.