Scarletina Bolete - Neoboletus praestigiator
Scarletina Bolete - Neoboletus praestigiator
Edible mushroom - intermediate identification
Other common names: Red Dot Bolete, Red Dotted Bolete
Scientific name meaning: Boletus is from the Greek Bolos, meaning lump. Praestigiator is Latin and means imposter or cheat, possibly due to its similarity to the Lurid Bolete
Spore print: Sienna-brown
Habitat and season
Mycorrhizal with coniferous and deciduous trees, especially Beech, and fruiting in Summer and Autumn
Growth and appearance
A cap and stem mushroom that can appear as individual specimens or in small groups in the ground
Cap
Between 5 - 20cm wide, the cap can appear in various tones of brown from very pale to very dark. Starting off dome-shaped, it flattens with age. It is downy at first and ages to a have a smoother surface
Pores and tubes
The tightly-packed pores start off orange, then age to bright red and eventually red-brown. The tubes are yellow. Both the pores and tubes turn deep blue, almost black, when cut or bruised
Stem
The stout stem is 4 - 15cm tall and 2 - 5cm wide. It is covered in tiny red dots, but has a pale area just below where it meets the cap. It does not have a ring or skirt
Flesh, taste and smell
The flesh is pale yellow and quickly turns dark blue when cut or bruised. The smell is slightly earthy and the taste mild
Possible lookalikes
Could be confused with other blue/black staining boletes, such as the Lurid Bolete (Boletus luridus), as well as the poisonous Oldrose Bolete (Boletus rhodopurpureus) and Satan's Bolete (Rubroboletus satanas). These both have reticulation on their stems, while the Scarletina has dots
Use as a food Edible when cooked. They turn black upon heating
Hazards Main on is confusion with poisonous species
Other uses None known
Use in medicine None known - please let us known if you know of any!
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner
Importance to other species Fed on by mammals, slugs, snails, and fly larvae
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!