17 September 2020 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Synonymns Boletus pulverulentus Common Name Inkstain Bolete Cap Convex, expanding with age, felty then smooth, yellow brown, brown or reddish brown, bruising dark blue, to about 10 cm across Pores Lemon yellow, rapidly bruising dark blue Stem Lemon yellow at the apex, pale below usually covered with brown or red dots, brusing dark blue, white mycelium at base Flesh Yellow, sometimes with dark red areas in the stem, rapidly bruising dark blue Smell Fungal Taste Mild Season Autumn Distribution Infrequent Habitat With deciduous trees, favouring oak Spore Print Sepia brown Microscopic Features Spores subfusiform, smooth (11-15) x (4.5-5.5) µm2 Edibility Edible, mediocre, but should not be eaten in large quantities as the flesh accumulates arsenic Notes This species looks rather like a Xerocomus but it is readily distinguished by the dark blue colour change 
This photograph was taken a few seconds after the specimen was sectioned. 17 September 2020 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Spores in Melzer's solution viewed with a x100 immersion objective. 17 September 2020 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |