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Suillus asiaticus or Suillus spectabilis

How they differ, how to recognize them and which is more dangerous — a mushroom comparison

The short answer

Suillus asiaticus and Suillus spectabilis are similar species that can be mixed up while foraging. The main visible difference: use: Suillus asiaticus — cook fresh, Suillus spectabilis — cook fresh, pickling. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: cap color, cap shape, cap surface.

Suillus asiaticus (Suillus asiaticus)

Suillus asiaticus

Suillus asiaticus

EdibleNot reviewed by an editor

📊 Comparing characteristics

Comparison of characteristics: Suillus asiaticus and Suillus spectabilis
Edibility class

Suillus asiaticus

Edible

Suillus spectabilis

Edible
Season

Suillus asiaticus

SummerAutumn

Suillus spectabilis

SummerAutumn
Use

Suillus asiaticus

Cook fresh

Suillus spectabilis

Cook freshPickling
Size

Suillus asiaticus

Medium (5–15 cm)

Suillus spectabilis

Medium (5–15 cm)
Cap color

Suillus asiaticus

RedPinkBrown

Suillus spectabilis

RedBrownDark brown
Cap shape

Suillus asiaticus

ConvexFlat

Suillus spectabilis

Convex
Cap surface

Suillus asiaticus

ScalyFibrousSlimy

Suillus spectabilis

Slimy
Taste

Suillus asiaticus

Mild

Suillus spectabilis

Mild
Smell

Suillus asiaticus

Pleasant

Suillus spectabilis

Pleasant
Flesh color change

Suillus asiaticus

No change

Suillus spectabilis

Reddening
Hymenophore

Suillus asiaticus

Pored

Suillus spectabilis

Pored
Stem

Suillus asiaticus

Central

Suillus spectabilis

Central
Ring (veil)

Suillus asiaticus

Ring present

Suillus spectabilis

Ring remnants
Volva

Suillus asiaticus

No volva

Suillus spectabilis

No volva
Substrate

Suillus asiaticus

Soil

Suillus spectabilis

Soil
Nutrition type

Suillus asiaticus

Mycorrhizal

Suillus spectabilis

Mycorrhizal
Partner trees

Suillus asiaticus

Larch

Suillus spectabilis

Larch

📅 Seasonality

Suillus asiaticus

Fruiting season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

July – September

Suillus spectabilis

Fruiting season

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

August – October

🔬 Morphology

Cap

Suillus asiaticus

The cap of Suillus asiaticus is 4 to 10 centimeters across. When young it is convex to hemispherical; with age it opens out flat. The surface is fibrous-scaly, sticky and slimy in wet weather, with veil remnants along the edge. The color is vivid — reddish-crimson, pinkish-red or brownish-red, with darker flattened fibrous scales. Its bright crimson color sets this species apart from the yellowish-brown slippery jacks.

Suillus spectabilis

Cap 5–12 cm, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped. Color reddish brown, dark raspberry, with a characteristic "fibrous" surface pattern — as if made of fine fabric. The surface is sticky in wet weather, matte in dry. Mature ones often have a thicker, darker center.

Hymenophore

Suillus asiaticus

The spore-bearing surface is made of tubes. The tubes run noticeably down the stem (decurrent), with wide, angular, radially arranged pores resembling honeycomb, as in other larch boletes. They are yellow or golden-yellow, turning olive-yellow with age; they may brown slightly when damaged. Large, angular, decurrent pores are a hallmark of the genus. The spore print is olive-brown.

Suillus spectabilis

Hymenophore tubular, running down the stem (a characteristic feature of the genus Boletinus). Color yellowish, olive-brown in mature ones. Pores large, angular, sometimes arranged radially.

Stem

Suillus asiaticus

The stem is cylindrical, 4 to 8 centimeters tall, yellowish-reddish, with a noticeable slimy or fibrous ring near the top — a remnant of the veil. Above the ring the stem is light yellow; below it, it matches the cap, with reddish fibers. There is no volva. The combination of a bright scaly cap, decurrent yellow pores, a ring and association with larch reliably identifies this species.

Suillus spectabilis

Stem 4–10 cm tall, 1–2.5 cm thick, cylindrical. Color reddish brown to dark brown, darker than the cap. In the upper part, a characteristic coarse net of thick veins. Ring membranous, white with pinkish tones, quickly disappearing.

Flesh

Suillus asiaticus

The flesh is yellowish or pale yellow, fairly soft and watery, and may turn slightly pink or brown when cut. The taste is mild, with no bitterness. Because of its watery texture, choose young, firm specimens for the table; its culinary value is modest, like that of other larch-loving Suillus.

Suillus spectabilis

Flesh yellowish, soft, watery. When cut it slowly turns red, then darkens to brown. Firmer and fibrous in the stem.

Smell

Suillus asiaticus

The smell is faint, pleasant and typically mushroomy, with no sharp notes. Scent isn't a defining feature, so for identification rely on the bright reddish-crimson scaly cap, large decurrent yellow pores, the ring on the stem and its constant association with larch.

Suillus spectabilis

Smell faint, pleasantly mushroomy with a slightly resinous note (from the larch). Taste mild, not bitter.

📍 Habitats

Suillus asiaticus

Conifer forestMixed forest

Suillus spectabilis

Conifer forestMixed forest

👀 Similar mushrooms — don't mix them up!

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can Suillus asiaticus and Suillus spectabilis be mixed up?
Yes, they look so similar that people often mix them up. The use, cap color, cap shape help tell them apart.
How to tell Suillus asiaticus from Suillus spectabilis?
The main differences: use: Suillus asiaticus — cook fresh, Suillus spectabilis — cook fresh, pickling; cap color: Suillus asiaticus — red, pink, brown, Suillus spectabilis — red, brown, dark brown; cap shape: Suillus asiaticus — convex, flat, Suillus spectabilis — convex. The full table of characteristics is higher up on this page.
Is Suillus spectabilis edible?
Suillus spectabilis — edible.
When do Suillus asiaticus and Suillus spectabilis grow?
Suillus asiaticus — July–September; Suillus spectabilis — August–October.

Sources

  • [1]Вікіпедія (українська)
  • [2]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
  • [3]MycoBank Database
  • [4]Index Fungorum
  • [5]GBIF
  • [6]iNaturalist Ukraine
  • [7]Mushrooms Demystified, David Arora
  • [8]Mushrooms (Roger Phillips), Roger Phillips
  • [9]Визначник грибів України, Зерова М.Я. та ін. (1979)
  • [10]Species Fungorum