- cap is up to 35cm wide, convex, reddish to yellowish brown, smooth but often uneven.
- underside of cap consists of pores, off-white to olive in age, with no pink tinge.
- flesh is white; flesh and pores unchanging when bruised.
- stem is white or tinted yellow/brown with a characteristic fine, white network extending down from the top of the stem, variable in shape.
- partial veil absent.
- grows singly or as many in conifer and hardwood stands.
- appears in spring, summer and fall.
- has a mild and pleasant taste with no odor; cook before eating.
- tip: boletes are mushrooms that grow on the ground and have a sponge-like surface on the underside of the cap - tiny pores, rather than gills. There are no deadly-poisonous boletes, though some varieties can cause nausea/vomiting. An unknown bolete is safe if it does not bruise blue after being cut, is not red on the underside of the cap, and does not taste foul. Small amounts should be consumed when testing an unfamiliar bolete.
