Suillus luteus
Slippery Jack
Status:
Common.
Suillus meaning of swines (pigs).
Cap:
5-15cm
Stem:
5-12cm
Meaning golden yellow.
Description
A distinctive species, when fresh covered in a thick mucus like substance, this can quickly disappear if dry, leaving a shiny brown-purple cap. Large thick ring with dots just above the stem and growing with Pine (Pinus) should make this species relatively straight forward to identify.
Smell
Not distinctive.
Season
Autumn.
Habitat & Distribution
With Pine (Pinus) where it can be common where these trees occur.
Edibility
Edible, we do not like any of the Suillus family, there are far better species to target, but they are often eaten in Eastern Europe, where the slimy layer and top part of the cap are peeled off, the tubes removed and just the flesh of the cap which is very well cooked is used.
Confusion Species
Spores
7-10 x 2.5-3.5 μm. Subfusiform to elongate elliptical.
Spore Print Colour
Ochre.
Suillus collinatus which lacks the ring on the stem and the stipe base and mycellial strands are pinkish.
The red-brown capped form of the Larch Bolete (Suillus grevillei var. badius) does not have small dots above the ring on the stem and grows with Larch (Larix) not Pine (Pinus).