How to identify Rosy Larch Bolete

To correctly identify Rosy Larch Bolete (Suillus ochraceoroseus), 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 4-12 cm in diameter, convex to broadly convex or nearly flat in age. The color ranges from rosy-ochre, pinkish-brown, to reddish-brown, often with yellowish or orange tones, especially towards the margin. The surface is viscid (slimy) when moist, becoming shiny when dry, and often adorned with darker, radially arranged fibrils or scales, particularly when young. The margin is often incurved when young, sometimes with remnants of the veil.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   This mushroom has a pore surface, not gills. The pore surface is adnate to slightly decurrent, yellow to yellowish-orange, becoming olive-yellow to brownish-yellow with age. The pores are small and angular, 1-2 per millimeter. The tubes are concolorous with the pores, 0.5-1.5 cm deep.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   The stem is 4-10 cm long and 1-2.5 cm thick, central, cylindrical or slightly tapering towards the base. It is yellowish to pale yellow above the ring, becoming brownish or reddish-brown below. The stem surface is typically covered with glandular dots, which are initially yellowish but often turn brownish or reddish-brown with age. A prominent, membranous ring is present, often yellowish to brownish, sometimes with a purplish tint, and can be persistent or disappear with age.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   The flesh is thick, soft, and yellowish to pale yellow, sometimes with a pinkish tinge, especially near the cap surface. It does not typically change color significantly when cut or bruised, or may show a very faint pinkish or brownish discoloration.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   The fruiting body is a typical bolete shape, with a cap, central stem, and a pore surface instead of gills.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Suillus ochraceoroseus is mycorrhizal, forming a symbiotic relationship exclusively with Larch (Larix species). It grows solitarily or scattered on the ground in coniferous forests where Larch trees are present.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Viscid (slimy) when moist, shiny when dry, often with darker radial fibrils or scales.

Growth Form

Solitary to scattered

Spore Print

Olive-brown to cinnamon-brown

Body color

Cap: Rosy-ochre, pinkish-brown, reddish-brown; Pores: Yellow to olive-yellow; Stem: Yellowish above ring, brownish below.

Odor

Mild, pleasant, or indistinct

Flesh bruises

Does not bruise significantly, or very faintly pinkish/brownish.

Height

4-10 cm

Cap Diameter

4-12 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Pore surface is adnate to slightly decurrent
• Stem shape: Cylindrical or slightly tapering towards the base
• Stem surface: Yellowish above ring, brownish below, covered with glandular dots that turn brownish with age.
• Ring: Present, membranous, yellowish to brownish, sometimes purplish, persistent or ephemeral.
• Stem cross-section: Solid

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