How to identify Summer Bolete

To correctly identify Summer Bolete (Boletus reticulatus), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   The cap is typically 6-20 cm (2.4-7.9 inches) in diameter, convex to broadly convex, becoming flatter with age. The color ranges from light brown to reddish-brown, sometimes with ochre or yellowish tones. The surface is dry, velvety or finely tomentose, and often develops a distinctive network of cracks (reticulations) in dry conditions, revealing lighter flesh beneath. The margin is usually incurved when young, becoming decurved to wavy with age.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Instead of gills, Boletus reticulatus has a pore surface. The pores are small, circular, and initially white or whitish, becoming yellowish-green to olive-brown with age. They do not stain blue when bruised. The tubes are long and white, becoming yellowish-green.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   The stem is stout and robust, 5-15 cm (2-5.9 inches) long and 2-6 cm (0.8-2.4 inches) thick, often swollen or club-shaped when young, becoming more cylindrical with age. The color is whitish to pale brown, covered with a prominent, raised, white to brownish reticulation (net-like pattern) that extends from the apex down to at least the middle, and often to the base. The base of the stem can be slightly darker.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   The flesh is thick, firm, and white, remaining white when cut or bruised. It has a pleasant, mild, nutty taste and a faint, agreeable mushroomy odor.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   The fruiting body is robust and fleshy, typical of a bolete. It can grow quite large, often reaching 20 cm or more in cap diameter.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Boletus reticulatus is a mycorrhizal fungus, forming symbiotic relationships primarily with deciduous trees, especially oak (Quercus spp.), but also beech (Fagus spp.), hornbeam (Carpinus spp.), and sometimes chestnut (Castanea spp.). It grows solitarily or in scattered groups on the ground in broadleaf forests.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Dry, velvety, often cracked (reticulated) in dry weather

Growth Form

Solitary to scattered

Spore Print

Olive-brown

Body color

Cap: light brown to reddish-brown; Stem: whitish to pale brown with white reticulation; Pores: white to yellowish-green

Odor

Mild, pleasant

Flesh bruises

Does not stain or bruise blue

Height

5-15 cm (2-5.9 inches)

Cap Diameter

6-20 cm (2.4-7.9 inches)

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Pores, not gills; adnate to depressed around the stem
• Stem shape: Club-shaped to cylindrical, often swollen when young
• Stem surface: Covered with a prominent, raised, white to brownish reticulation (net-like pattern)
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Solid

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