Hortiboletus rubellus
Ruby Bolete
Status:
Occasional, rarer in the North.
Horti means garden, boletus from 'bolos' meaning lump of clay.
Cap:
3-8cm
Stem:
3-7cm
Meaning reddish.
Description
A delightful little mushroom with younger specimens being a vivid red colour with yellow pores. Does not often crack in the cap like similar species. The colour of cap fades more brown with age. The base of the stem can have orange spots (which is a feature shared with the very similar Hortiboletus engelii).
Smell
Pleasant but indistinct.
Season
Late Summer to Autumn.
Habitat & Distribution
Usually in parks and gardens where there are Oak (Quercus) trees.
Edibility
Said to be soapy and they are often filled with maggots, so best avoided.
Confusion Species
Spores
11-12.5 x 5-5.5µm, subfusiform.
Spore Print Colour
Olivaceous.
Hortiboletus engelii is similar, but this species starts with a brown cap and fades to red, where as the Ruby Bolete starts red and slowly fades to brown with age.