The Handsome Boletus. Edible.
Figure 287.—Boletus speciosus. Natural size. Cap red or deep scarlet. Tubes bright lemon-yellow.
Speciosus means handsome.
The pileus is three to six inches broad, at first very thick, subglobose, compact, then softer, convex, glabrous or nearly so, red or deep scarlet. The flesh is pale yellow or bright lemon-yellow, changing to blue where wounded.
The tubes are adnate, small, subrotund, plane, or slightly depressed around the stem; bright lemon-yellow, becoming dingy-yellow with age, changing to blue where bruised.
The stem is two to four inches long, stout, subequal or bulbous, reticulated, bright lemon-yellow without and within, sometimes reddish at the base. The spores are oblong-fusiform, pale, ochraceous-brown, 10–12.5×4–5µ.
The young specimen can be recognized by the whole plant's being of a vivid lemon-yellow except the surface of the cap. The plant quickly turns to green, then blue, wherever touched. It has a wide distribution in the Eastern and Middle states. The plant in Figure 287 was found in Haynes' Hollow by Dr. Chas. Miesse and photographed by Dr. Kellerman.
As an edible it is among the best. Found from August to October.