Red-capped scaber stalk or Lurid bolete

The cap of the lurid bolete is large and fleshy, reaching 8 to 20 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical, becoming convex and cushion-shaped with age. The cap surface is dry, finely velvety or felty to the touch, and slightly greasy-shiny in wet weather. The color is warm and variable — from olive-yellowish and gray-brown to ochre-brown and clay-colored, often with a pinkish sheen. When pressed, the cap surface darkens and develops blue-green spots, which instantly gives away the nature of this mushroom.

Cap 6–20 cm across, spherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped. The surface is finely felted or slightly leathery, dry. The color is vivid — brick-red, orange or ginger; in shady spots it may be duller.

Under the cap lies a tubular hymenophore with bright, rich orange-red or blood-red pores that contrast sharply with the yellowish-olive tubes. It's these red pores that put the lurid bolete in the group of "dangerous-looking" boletes. At the slightest touch the pores instantly turn blue, flooding with a dark blue color. A characteristic microscopic feature of the species is a thin reddish layer between the tubes and the cap flesh, visible in a lengthwise cut.

The hymenophore has tubes. Pores small, round, white at first, then turning brownish. When pressed, the pores turn brownish — this is a normal reaction and does not indicate danger.

The stem of the lurid bolete is sturdy and massive, 8 to 15 centimeters tall, noticeably thickened or club-shaped and swollen at the base. Its main diagnostic feature is a distinct net pattern: a raised reddish net stands out clearly against a yellow-orange background, covering almost the entire surface of the stem. It's this red net that reliably distinguishes the lurid bolete from the scarletina bolete, whose stem is covered in separate dots rather than a net. When touched, the stem quickly turns blue. There is no ring and no volva.

Stem 8–20 cm tall, 2–4 cm thick, firm, club-shaped at the bottom, cylindrical in the upper part. The surface is white, covered with scales and fibres: reddish, sometimes whitish, in young mushrooms, turning red-brown to blackish with age. The stem base often shows a blue tint, especially where it has been handled. The stem is very hard, almost woody in mature mushrooms.

The flesh of the lurid bolete is thick, dense and fleshy, lemon yellow in a fresh cut, and often wine-reddish near the base of the stem. Its most striking trait is rapid, vivid bluing on exposure to air: as soon as the mushroom is cut, the flesh floods with a thick dark blue color within seconds. This dramatic reaction is typical of the species and helps with identification. Raw flesh tastes mild, with no bitterness, but you absolutely should not taste it raw, because the uncooked mushroom is toxic.

Flesh firm, white; when cut it darkens to violet-grey, grey and eventually almost black; only the stem base often turns blue-green. The darkening also happens during cooking. The taste is pleasant, meaty. In mature mushrooms the stem is very fibrous.

The smell of the lurid bolete is faint, pleasant and gently mushroomy, sometimes with a barely noticeable fruity note. The aroma carries no warning and may even seem appealing, so don't rely on it for identification — the main guides remain the red pores, the red net on the stem and the rapid bluing of the flesh.

Smell faint, pleasant, mushroomy, slightly earthy. When fried, the aroma becomes richer and more appetizing. Compared with porcini, the red-capped scaber stalk's smell is less pronounced, but quite pleasant.