Xerocomellus truncatus

Description
Mushroom Identification
Synonyms

Description

Xerocomellus truncatus is an edible bolete in the family Boletaceae. It is closely related to and often confused with Xerocomellus diffractus. Both have an olive-brown to brown tomentose cap typically areolate at maturity, similarly colored stem, and yellowish mycelium at the base. The stem starts yellow at the top & purple-red at the bottom, ages to dark rose-red overall, & may have ridges. The cracks in the cap usually have reddish tinges. Likes conifers or mixed woods.

Until recent work by Frank et al., this species was known as Xerocomellus truncatus, a morphologically similar, but genetically distinct Eastern United States species that is not known to occur in the west.

Mushroom Identification

Cap
5-10 cm broad, convex, broadly convex to nearly plane in age; surface dry, tomentose, brown to olive-brown, usually cracking early in development revealing underlying yellowish to pinkish tissue, the latter more prevalent toward the margin; flesh thick, light yellow, typically blueing strongly when injured; odor mild, taste acidic.
Gills
Pores +/- 1 per mm, dull yellow to yellowish-green, bruising rapidly blue; tubes up to 1.5 cm long, narrowly depressed near stipe, yellowish-green, quickly and strongly bruising blue.
Stem
5-10 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm thick, solid, equal, or the base slightly narrowed; surface dry, smooth to slightly striate, yellowish at the apex, otherwise reddish; yellowish-green mycelium at the base.
Spores
12-15 x 4.5-6 µm, smooth, elliptical to fusiform, truncate at one end.
Spore Print
Olive-brown.
Habitat
Solitary to in small groups in hardwood/conifer woods from fall to mid-winter.