COMMON NAME: Spotted Bolete.

CAP: (3.5-10 cm) wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly flat; surface finely velvety, smooth to finely wrinkled, sometimes pitted and cracked in age, dry, red-brown varying to dark brown, brown, yellow-brown, and orange-brown, mottled with white to pale yellow spots; flesh white, often pale yellow around larval tunnels, not blueing when cut or bruised; odor and taste not distinctive.

PORE SURFACE: white to pinkish white when young, becoming yellow in age, bruising olive-ochre; pores circular, 1-2 per mm.

STALK: (3-10 cm) long, (1-2 cm) thick, solid, often enlarged at the base, whitish, tinged yellowish, pinkish tan or brown when bruised or in age, not reticulate or slightly so at the apex; partial veil and ring absent.

SPORE PRINT: yellow-brown to amber.

MICROSCOPIC FEATURES: spores 9-16 x 3-5 μm, nearly oblong, smooth, pale yellow.

FRUITING: scattered to caespitose on the ground in mixed forests, particularly beech; June-September; fairly common.

EDIBILITY: edible.

COMMENTS: also known as Xanthoconium affine. Boletus affinis var. affinis (edible) is nearly identical but lacks the numerous white to pale yellow spots.

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