Larch bolete or Velvet bolete

Cap 4–10 cm (sometimes up to 15), hemispherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped, almost flat in old ones. Color bright yellow, lemon-yellow, golden-orange, less often rusty brown. The surface is very sticky and shiny — in wet weather it looks literally lacquered. The skin peels off easily and often stretches into strips.

Cap 5-12 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled edge when young, becoming convex-flat with time. The color is yellow-brown, ocher-yellow to brownish, lighter when young, darkening with age. The surface is velvety and dryish, with tiny dark scales ("variegated" — which is where the Latin name comes from). In wet weather it becomes a little sticky, but not truly slimy.

Tubes adnate to the stem at first, then notched. Yellowish when young, later grayish- or olive-yellow. Pores small and angular. When pressed they turn pinkish, then brown — a characteristic reaction. In young mushrooms they are covered by a yellowish membranous veil.

Pores and tubes — the tubes are attached to the stem or slightly decurrent, yellowish when young, turning yellow-olive to rusty brown with age. The pores are small, the same color as the tubes. When cut or pressed they turn slightly blue — a normal reaction. Spore print rusty brown.

Stem 4–12 cm tall, 1–3 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly widening toward the base. Yellow above, brownish below the ring, with small rusty dots. The ring is white or yellowish, membranous, and breaks down quickly — in mature mushrooms it’s often gone or only a narrow band remains.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 1.5-2.5 cm thick, thick, cylindrical, often thickening toward the base. The color is yellow-ocher, reddish in the lower part. No ring and no zone — a key difference from other Suillus. The stem flesh is firm and, when cut, turns faintly blue.

Flesh yellow, soft, watery in mature mushrooms. When cut it turns slightly pinkish in the cap, and sometimes a bit greenish in the stem. The texture is slimy-fibrous.

Flesh firm, yellow, more reddish in the stem. When cut it slowly turns blue (over 1-2 minutes), then fades. The smell is faint, neutral. The taste is mild, mushroomy.

Smell faint, mushroomy, with a barely noticeable resinous note. Taste mild, not bitter.

Faint, pleasant, mushroomy, with no distinctive notes.