Xanthoconium affine variations (“Spotted Bolete”)

Brown (red-, yellow-, or dark) cap may have yellow spots. White pores age yellow-tan & stain darker. White/tan stem may have pink-purple tints.

SKU: Xanthoconium affine Categories: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Description

Genus: Xanthoconium

  • Genus 2: Boletus

Species: affine (var. affine, var. maculosus, & var. reticulatum)

  • Species 2: affinis

Common Name: “Spotted Bolete” (for affine var. maculosus)

Tells: Brown (red-, yellow-, or dark) cap may have yellow spots. White pores age yellow-tan & stain darker. White/tan stem may have pink-purple tints.

Other Information: White cap flesh DNS or stains yellow, esp. around larval tunnels. Cap can get pitted or cracked, esp. w/age. There are three recognized variations in this complex. Affine var. affine has no netting except a tiny bit at the very top; affine var. maculosus, called the “Spotted Bolete” because it has white/yellow spots on the cap; & affine var. reticulatum, which has conspicuous brown netting on the stem. Yellow-brown spore print.

Edibility: Choice when they aren’t buggy – which they usually are, alas.

CHEMICAL TESTS:

  • NH4OH (Ammonia): Cap skin turns rusty tan (var. affine), or orange to cinnabar (var. maculosus). No data for var. reticulatum.
  • KOH: No data, except that var. reticulatum has no reaction on the flesh.
  • FeSO4 (Iron Salts): Cap flesh slowly turns olive-gray for var. affine; no data for the other two.

Links:

National Audubon Society Field guide to Mushrooms, Gary Lincoff 565 Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians 342 North American Boletes 275 BENA 409

Got something to discuss?