Boletus vermiculosoides is a mycorrhizal mushroom that is distributed east of the Rocky Mountains and associated with broadleaf trees. This mushroom bruises blue where handled.

The stem has small, reddish-brown scales (scabers).

Its pore color starts a dark red when young, transitioning into an orange to yellow color when mature. The featured specimen is mature.

B. vermiculosoides promptly turns blue where cut, later transitioning to blackish.

This species taxonomically should be considered the "Boletus vermiculosoides group" until more DNA research is done into the group. Different species are likely hiding under the same morphology. Stay tuned, there's more bolete news to come...

August 2nd, 2023

• Growing gregariously in an open mixed oak woodland edge.
• Nearby Trees: Black Walnut, American Linden, Bur Oak, Northern Red Oak, Elm, Ash and Black Oak.
• Cap light orange, bald, slowly bruising dark blue where handled/damaged. Pileipellis color rubbing off on fingers and collection bag.
• Hymenophore dingy orange, with large circular pores that quickly bruise dark blue where handled/damaged, sunken at stipe apex.
• Stipe light yellow at the apex with numerous small reddish-brown scabers, turning wine red and subtomentose at the base.
• Basal mycelium is pale yellowish.
• Tube layer easily separable from orange trama.
• Outer flesh staining wax bags yellow.
• Smell: not distinctive
• Taste: not distinctive
• KOH: Dark orange on pileipellis, stipe flesh and tube layer, and pale orange on trama.
• Ammonia yellowish-green on pileipellis, pale orange on context, yellowish on the tube layer and stipe flesh.
• FeSO4 dark gray on pileipellis.
• Spore Print: light olive brown.