Red cracking bolete, the mottled Xerocomus

Among the moss boletes there's one you can recognize at first glance by a very distinctive feature: with age, its cap gets covered in a network of cracks, like parched soil. This is the red cracking bolete (Xerocomellus chrysenteron), which folk tradition often calls the motley moss bolete.

It's common, edible and very recognizable. Let's look at how to tell it apart, why its cap cracks, where to find it and what makes it good in the kitchen.

How to recognize it

The main feature of the red cracking bolete is right there in its name: a cracked cap.

• Cap brown, gray-brown or olive, dry and velvety; with age it gets covered in a network of cracks.
• Deep in the cracks pinkish or reddish flesh often shows through, which is what makes the cap look “motley.”
• Tube layer with large pores, yellow or greenish yellow.
• Flesh yellowish; when cut, it turns noticeably blue, especially in the stem.

It's the combination of a cracked cap with pink in the cracks and clear blue bruising when cut that lets you name this species with confidence.

Why the cap cracks

Cracks on the cap are not a disease or a sign of a spoiled mushroom, but a natural trait of the species.

The cap surface of the red cracking bolete is dry and thin. As the mushroom grows, and especially in drier weather, this surface can't stretch fast enough and cracks, exposing the paler flesh underneath.

So a cracked cap is normal, not a reason to throw the mushroom away. Young specimens crack less, older ones more. It doesn't affect edibility.

Where and when to look for it

The red cracking bolete loves moss and bright forests, just like its relatives.

• in mixed forests, where conifers grow alongside broadleaf trees;
• in coniferous forests and pine forests on mossy patches;
• in deciduous forests, on forest edges, in clearings, along paths and on mossy slopes.

Its season is long, from June to October. It's one of the most frequent moss boletes and appears in large numbers, especially after warm summer rains.

Why it's good on the table

The red cracking bolete is edible but less firm than the suede bolete. Its flesh is softer and more watery, so the mushroom ages quickly.

It's fried, boiled and added to mushroom dishes along with other mushrooms. It's less suited to pickling and drying, because it goes mushy and darkens a lot due to the blue bruising.

For the table, pick mainly young, firm mushrooms whose flesh is still springy. Older specimens with a sagging pore layer are better left in the forest. The similar sepia bolete also has a cracked cap, but both are edible, so a mix-up is no big deal.

The only unpleasant lookalike among the moss boletes is the fiery peppery bolete with reddish pores. To know when to head out for moss boletes, check our mushroom radar: it shows when moisture and warmth line up well for mushrooms to appear.

Sources

• “Field Guide to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka Publishing).
• Xerocomellus chrysenteron on GBIF, a global biodiversity database.
• Xerocomellus on MycoBank, an international fungal nomenclature database.
• Xerocomellus chrysenteron on Wikipedia.