Matt bolete or Bay bolete

The cap of the matt bolete reaches 3 to 8 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical, becoming convex and cushion-shaped with age. The surface is dry, velvety and finely fibrous, and in young mushrooms covered with a characteristic grayish waxy bloom, as if dusted with frost. The color is dark — chestnut-brown, reddish-brown or dark chocolate; with age the bloom disappears, and small cracks may appear on the surface, through which pinkish flesh shows.

Cap 5-15 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled margin when young, later becoming convex-flat. Color chestnut-brown, dark chestnut, honey-brown: the rich color of autumn chestnuts. Darker when young, paler with age. Surface smooth, slightly velvety when young, a little tacky in wet weather, dry and matte in dry weather. The cap skin doesn't peel.

The hymenophore is made of tubes. The tubes are fairly long, with relatively wide angular pores, lemon-yellow or golden-yellow, turning olive-yellow with age. When pressed or damaged the pores turn blue, taking on a blue-green tint. The hymenophore separates easily from the cap flesh. Spore print olive-brown.

Tubular hymenophore: the tubes are attached to the stem or slightly notched. Color yellowish when young, turning yellow-olive with age. The pores bruise distinctly blue to blue-green when pressed, a characteristic feature of the species. Spore print olive-brown.

The stem is cylindrical, 4 to 8 centimeters tall, fairly slender and often narrowing toward the base. It is yellowish at the top and reddish-pink or brownish-red lower down, with a fine reddish fibrous pattern. When pressed, the surface may turn blue or brown. There is no volva and no ring. The reddish tones of the stem together with the dark bloomy cap set this species apart.

Stem 5-10 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, thick, meaty, cylindrical, often thickened toward the base. Color yellow-brown to yellow-ochre, reddish toward the base, with fine lengthwise brownish fibers (not a net like porcini's; this is the key difference). When cut, it bruises faintly blue.

The flesh is pale yellow or lemon, often pinkish under the cap skin and yellowish-red in the stem. When cut and exposed to air it turns noticeably, though not very strongly, blue, taking on a blue-greenish tint, and then fades. The taste is mild and pleasant, without bitterness. Because the flesh tends to go soft, pick young, firm mushrooms for the table.

Flesh firm, meaty, white to pale yellow. When cut, it bruises blue slowly and faintly (within 1-2 min, not very noticeably), then fades. Smell and taste pleasant and mushroomy, with a hint of fresh nuts.

The smell is faint, pleasant and typically mushroomy, with no sharp notes. Aroma isn't a defining feature, so for identification rely on the dark velvety bloomy cap, the yellow pores that turn blue, the reddish stem and the association with beech or oak.

Pleasant, rich, mushroomy, with a hint of nuts and damp forest.