COMMON NAME: Painted Suillus.

CAP: (3-12 cm) wide, convex, becoming broadly convex to nearly flat, sometimes depressed; surface dry, not sticky or slimy, covered with conspicuous pink to red or dark red scales or patches, fading to dull yellow in age; margin incurved, becoming decurved, frequently rimmed with fibrous, whitish veil remnants; flesh yellow, not staining blue when cut or bruised, sometimes staining slightly reddish; odor and taste not distinctive.

PORE SURFACE: yellow to dingy yellow, not staining blue when bruised, occasionally staining reddish to brownish, often slightly decurrent; pores angular, somewhat radially arranged, 0.5-5 nun wide.

STALK: (4-12 cm) long, (1-2.5 cm) thick, equal or enlarging downward, solid, covered with reddish scales, fibers, or patches below the veil, lacking glandular dots or smears, not staining blue when cut or bruised; veil present on young specimens, white, fibrous, often forming a fibrous grayish ring on the stalk.

SPORE PRINT: brown.

MICROSCOPIC FEATURES: spores 8-12 x 3.5-5 μm, narrowly oval, smooth, pale brown.

FRUITING: scattered or in groups on the ground under white pine, in forests and at the edges of bogs; June-October; fairly common.

EDIBILITY: edible.

COMMENTS: also known as Suillus spraguei.

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