Orange birch bolete or Orange oak bolete

The cap is large: 6-20 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled margin in young mushrooms, becoming convex with age, then flat and spread out. The color is bright orange, brick-yellow, rusty orange, more intense in young mushrooms and paler in old ones. The cap skin is roughly suede-like or slightly fibrous, a little slippery in wet weather. The skin does not peel off; ragged scraps of a leathery "curtain" often hang from the margin.

Cap 5–15 cm, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped. The color is brick-red, blood-brick, darkening with age to brownish red. The surface is matte and velvety, slightly sticky in wet weather. The skin does not peel and overhangs the cap margin as a thin "fringe".

Tubular hymenophore. The tubes are long (2-3 cm), grayish-white in young mushrooms, grayish-cream with age. They are not attached to the stem (they separate easily from the cap). The spore print is olive-brown. The pores are small and round.

The hymenophore is tubular, free, notched at the stem. White when young, then grayish cream, grayish brown in mature ones. The pores are small and round. They darken quickly when pressed.

The stem is sturdy: 8-20 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick, cylindrical, thickened at the base and narrowing toward the top. Its color ranges from whitish to dirty gray, densely covered with dark gray or blackish scale-like fibers — a hallmark of the genus Leccinum. No ring.

Stem 10–18 cm tall, 2–4 cm thick, cylindrical, slightly bulbous at the base. The color is whitish, covered with characteristic dense brown fibrous scales — especially rich in the lower part. The base may have a bluish-green or reddish-brown tint.

The flesh is thick, white, very firm and meaty in young mushrooms. When cut, it gradually darkens: it may first turn pinkish, then violet-gray, then black, and the stem base often turns bluish — a normal reaction of the species, not a sign of spoilage. It also darkens when cooked. The texture holds its shape well in the pan.

The flesh is white and very firm. When cut it darkens to violet-grey, grey or blackish; the stem base often turns blue-green. The texture is meaty, like the classic red-capped scaber stalk. It gets wormy less readily than the classic one.

A faint, pleasant mushroomy smell with a hint of fresh forest litter. The taste is mild, delicate, typically mushroomy. No sharp or unpleasant notes.

The smell is richly mushroomy and pleasant. The taste is mild and delicate, with a note of forest litter.