Saffron bolete or Orange oak bolete

Cap 5–12 cm, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped. Color yellow-brown, ocher-yellow, darkening to brown with age. The surface is matte, dry, slightly sticky in wet weather. In mature mushrooms it may crack finely.

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".

Hymenophore tubular, with a slight notch near the stem. Yellow when young, olive-yellow to brown in mature mushrooms. Pores small, angular, quickly darkening to gray-violet when pressed.

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.

Stem 6–15 cm tall, 1.5–3 cm thick, cylindrical, sometimes bulbous at the base. Yellow-brown, covered with characteristic dense grayish-brown scales — a typical feature of the genus Leccinellum.

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.

Flesh bright yellow in young mushrooms. When cut it darkens DRAMATICALLY: within a few seconds it turns yellow, after a minute gray-violet, after a few minutes almost black. This is a normal reaction of the species, not toxicity.

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.

Smell faint, pleasantly mushroomy. Taste mild, without bitterness.

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