COMMON NAME: Graceful Bolete.

CAP: (3-10 cm) wide, convex to broadly convex; surface dry, finely velvety when young, sometimes finely cracked in age, maroon to reddish brown or cinnamon, at times tawny to yellow-brown; flesh white or tinged pink, not staining blue or brown; odor not distinctive; taste mild or slightly tart.

PORE SURFACE: white when young, becoming pinkish to pinkish brown or burgundy-tinged in age, not staining blue or brown when bruised; pores circular, 1-2 per mm.

STALK: (7.5-18 cm) long, (6-10 mm) thick at the apex, enlarging downward or nearly equal, colored like the cap or paler, whitish at the base, solid, with elevated, anastomosing lines that sometimes form an obscure, narrow reticulation overall or at least on the upper half; partial veil and ring absent.

SPORE PRINT: pinkish brown to reddish brown.

MICROSCOPIC FEATURES: spores 10-17 x 5-8 μm, narrowly ovoid to subelliptic, pitted, pale brown.

FRUITING: solitary, scattered, or in groups on the ground or decaying wood in conifer and hardwoods; June-October; frequent.

EDIBILITY: edible.

COMMENTS: also known as Tylopilus gracilis and Porphyrellus gracilis. Gyroporus species have a hollow stalk at maturity, a white to yellow pore surface, and a pale to bright yellow spore print. Tylopilus species have smooth (not pitted) spores.

From Mushrooms of Northeastern North America Alan E. Bessette, Arleen R. Bessette, & David W. Fischer  Copright © 1997 Syracuse University, ISBN 0-8156-0388-6