Suillus spectabilis, a rare relative of the slippery jack

Most slippery jacks wear a smooth, slimy cap. But there's a striking exception among them: Suillus spectabilis (Suillus spectabilis, listed in our catalog as Suillus spectabilis). Its cap is covered in reddish-crimson scales, as if the mushroom had put on a colorful sheepskin coat.

It's a rare relative of the slippery jack, closely tied to larch. Coming across it is a real find: it's beautiful, unusual and easy to recognize thanks to its scaly outfit.

A slippery jack in a scaly coat

Suillus spectabilis belongs to the same family as the larch and sticky boletes, and likewise lives in partnership with larch. This bond is called mycorrhiza: the mycelium wraps around the tree's rootlets and exchanges nutrients with it.

Yet on the outside it's completely different. Instead of a smooth, slimy cap it has a drier surface densely covered in reddish-crimson or wine-colored fibrous scales. Young mushrooms are especially smart-looking, with a striking pattern.

Because it's rare and unusual-looking, many foragers see it more as a curiosity than as a catch. But Suillus spectabilis is edible, though its flavor is mediocre and its flesh watery.

How to recognize Suillus spectabilis

You recognize it by a combination of features, not a single one. Look the mushroom over from top to bottom.

• Cap. Dryish, covered in reddish-crimson or wine-colored scales and fibers on a yellowish background.
• Ring. The stem has a fibrous ring or traces of one, also reddish.
• Pores. The tube layer underneath: yellow, with large angular pores, darkening with age.
• Stem. Yellowish, with reddish scales below the ring.
• Flesh. Yellowish and watery; when cut it may turn slightly pinkish or brownish.

The main clue: red scales on the cap plus a larch nearby. No other slippery jack looks like this.

How it differs from other slippery jacks

Suillus spectabilis is easy to pick out thanks to its scales.

• What sets it apart from the larch bolete is its dry, scaly cap instead of a smooth, slimy one.
• What sets it apart from the sticky bolete is its bright reddish outfit and large pores.

In essence, it's the smartest-looking and rarest member of the larch-loving slippery jack crowd.

Where and when to look for it

The best spots are:

• larch plantations and mixed forests with larch;
• mountain and foothill conifer forests, where larch is more common;
• bright edges of coniferous forest mixed with larch.

The season runs from July to September, with flushes after warm rains. The best time to go out is a day or two after rain. An easy way to track these windows is our mushroom radar: it shows when moisture and warmth line up well for mushrooms to appear.

Caution never hurts

Suillus spectabilis is safe and has no dangerous lookalikes. The main rule stays the same: take only mushrooms with a spongy underside, not gills. Because it's rare, many foragers leave it in the forest, admiring it rather than picking it. And, as always: if in doubt, leave it out.

Sources

• "Field Guide to the Fungi of Ukraine" (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
• Suillus spectabilis on GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
• Suillus spectabilis on MycoBank, the international fungal nomenclature database.
• Suillus spectabilis on Wikipedia.