Pale bolete or Royal bolete

Cap 6–15 cm, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped. Pale gray, creamy white, silvery grayish, sometimes with a faint pink or ochre tint. Surface matte, slightly sticky in wet weather. Young mushrooms often have a distinctive silvery sheen.

Cap 5–15 cm, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped and flattened-convex. Color pinkish raspberry, pinkish red, darkening with age to brownish red. Surface matte, slightly fibrous in dry weather, a little slimy in wet weather. The cap skin does not peel. The cap margin is rolled inward at first, then straightens out.

Hymenophor tubular, slightly notched near the stem. Butter-yellow, olive-yellow in mature specimens. Pores small, round. May bruise faintly blue when pressed.

Hymenophore tubular, free or slightly notched at the stem. Lemon yellow, turning ochre-yellow with age, olive in old mushrooms. Pores small and round. When pressed it may turn faintly blue or not change color at all — unusual for a bolete.

Stem 5–12 cm tall, 2–4 cm thick, club-shaped in young mushrooms, cylindrical in mature ones. Yellow at the top; the base may have a pink or reddish brown tint. At the top — a fine yellow net (a characteristic feature of the genus).

Stem 5–14 cm tall, 2–6 cm thick, bulbous at the base, then cylindrical. Color lemon yellow to ochre-yellow, with a clearly visible fine net on the upper part (a hallmark of the genus Butyriboletus). Sometimes with a pinkish tinge at the base.

Flesh butter-yellow, very firm in young specimens; may slowly turn blue when cut, especially in the tubes. The stem base sometimes has a pink tint. Texture fibrous, with a pleasant resistance under the knife.

Flesh lemon yellow, reddish under the cap skin, very firm and heavy. When cut, the color does not change or turns slightly blue in spots. This is another important diagnostic feature — most pink-capped boletes turn blue instantly and strongly.

Smell pleasant, mushroomy and nutty, with a faint honey note. Taste mild, not bitter, with a distinct “buttery” note — a hallmark of the genus Butyriboletus.

Smell faint, pleasantly mushroomy, with notes of fresh hazelnut. Taste mild, sweetish, with no bitterness and no peppery notes.