How to identify Orange Birch Bolete

To correctly identify Orange Birch Bolete (Leccinum testaceoscabrum), 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 orange to reddish-brown, convex when young, and becoming more flattened with age. The surface is dry and may be slightly velvety.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Absent (pores instead of gills). The pores are small and whitish, staining brownish with age or when bruised.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   The stem is stout, cylindrical, and covered in small, rough scales (scabers) that are initially whitish but darken with age.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   The flesh is whitish, often staining pinkish or grayish when cut.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   The fruiting body is a bolete, meaning it has pores instead of gills. It is medium to large in size.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Found in deciduous forests, especially under birch trees.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Dry, slightly velvety

Growth Form

Solitary or scattered

Spore Print

Brown

Body color

Orange to reddish-brown

Odor

Mild, mushroomy

Flesh bruises

Pinkish or grayish

Height

5-15 cm

Cap Diameter

5-15 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Adnate to decurrent (pores instead of gills)
• Stem shape: Cylindrical
• Stem surface: Scabrous (covered in small, rough scales)
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Solid

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