COMMON NAME: Peppery Bolete.

CAP: (1.6-9 cm) wide, convex, becoming nearly flat; surface smooth or with a few fibers, dry or sticky, sometimes finely cracked, buff to yellow-brown, orange-brown, or reddish brown; flesh pale yellow or tinged reddish, becoming dingy purplish brown in age, not blueing when cut or bruised, staining violet-gray with NH₄OH; odor not distinctive; taste distinctly hot and peppery.

PORE SURFACE: dull cinnamon, reddish cinnamon, or cinnamon-brown, becoming darker reddish brown in age, not blueing when cut or bruised but sometimes staining brown; pores angular, sometimes appearing to radiate from the stalk, 0.5-2 mm wide.

STALK: (4-9.5 cm) long, (6-12 mm) thick, equal or tapering downward, solid, colored like the cap or paler, base with bright yellow mycelium; flesh lemon-yellow, not blueing; partial veil and ring absent.

SPORE PRINT: brown to cinnamon-brown.

MICROSCOPIC FEATURES: spores 9-12 x 4-5 μm, narrowly fusiform, smooth, pale brown.

FRUITING: solitary, scattered, or in groups on the ground under conifers or hardwoods; July-September; fairly common.

EDIBILITY: unknown.

COMMENTS: also known as Boletus piperatus.

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