Scarletina bolete or Lurid bolete

The cap of the scarletina bolete is large and fleshy, reaching 5 to 20 centimeters across. When young it is neatly hemispherical, opening with maturity to convex and cushion-shaped. The cap surface is dry and velvety-felty to the touch, and may become slightly sticky in wet weather. The color ranges from warm chestnut and dark brown to yellowish brown, often with a faint reddish or olive tint. When pressed, the cap surface darkens, developing bluish spots.

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.

Under the cap lies a tubular hymenophore with a very characteristic, warning feature — the pores here are a rich orange-red, sometimes even blood-red, while the tubes themselves stay yellow or olive-yellow. It's these red pores that make the mushroom look like poisonous species, so it calls for special care. The most important diagnostic trait is the instant, dramatic reaction to touch: just run a finger over the pores, and they immediately flood with a deep dark blue, almost inky color.

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 stem of the scarletina bolete is sturdy, dense and massive, 5 to 15 centimeters tall, often thickened toward the base. It's the stem that gave the mushroom its Ukrainian scientific and folk names: against a yellow-orange background, it is densely covered in tiny reddish and brown scale-like dots that feel like a grainy surface. Unlike its close relative the lurid bolete, the scarletina bolete has no net pattern — just this characteristic grainy "dusting". When touched, the stem turns blue just as quickly. There is no ring and no volva.

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.

The flesh of the scarletina bolete is thick, dense and springy, lemon yellow in a fresh cut. Its main feature is a lightning-fast reaction to air: as soon as you cut the mushroom, the flesh floods before your eyes with an intense dark blue, almost inky color, spreading from the edges to the center. This reaction is so fast and vivid that it's one of the most reliable features of the species. Near the base of the stem the flesh may have a reddish tint. Raw flesh tastes mild, with no bitterness, but you shouldn't taste it raw.

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.

The smell of the scarletina bolete is faint, pleasant and typically mushroomy, with no sharp or unpleasant notes. It carries no warning at all and may well seem appealing, so when identifying this species, rely first and foremost on the pore color and the bluing reaction, not on the aroma.

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.