Boletus ID Please

[funkyfungus]

Thanks again for all your help.

Am I correct in assuming that this is 'potentially' a rare fungus? Unfortunately I did not keep the specimen - a lesson learned!!! For future reference (in case I find another), Andreas suggested sending a dried specimen to Kew - how would one go about this? Sorry I can't join the 'technical' debate, this is well out of my depth - I still have a lot to learn.

Here are some additional pictures I took of the cross section. Again not great, as taken with a mobile phone at my work desk.

Cheers

Charlie

[mollisia]

Hello,

the additional pictures show some important features.
First the true cap colour can be seen on the first (dark) picture. It is a deep red. Second the blueing isn't that strong inside as on the tubes and on the stipe surface. Therefor X. cisalpinus can be excluded. That secies would blue also in the flesh and reminds of Boletus pulverulentus (but slower and not that intense). And third there might be some ornage spots in the base of the stipe, but that isn't clearly visible. May be it's just the wish to see them
So I would wonder if this is X. ripariellus, but think it's just "only" X. rubellus. To clarify whether it is rubellus or the rarely observed ripariellus, one has to look at the spores microscopically. X. rubellus has quite stout spores, which are smooth even in REM, X. ripariellus has more elongate spores which have ridges (which are often only seen in REM ).
The biotop would be more typical for X. rubellus, which often occures in parkland.

If you come across another specimen best is to cut it in half and then dry it with low heat but some air movement. A radiator is perfect, the good old TV monitor is also perfect. An oven is not recommended, but is possible if you heat with smallest heat (< 50°), leave the door open and put the specimen to dry on the open door and not inside the oven. Quite a waste of energy though ....
Before you dry it it would be nice to have a foto from the flesh of the stipe base, as sharp and as near as possible. If it is X. rubellus, one should see the orange dots with some luck. But sometimes they are so few and small that one needs a lens to see it.

best regards,
Andreas

[flaxton]

These photos certainly "help" with the identification. Externally this looks like X reparieluis but the bluing shows this to be almost certainly X rubellus (repariellus would normally turn blue in the lower half of the stipe as well as the cap)

Mal