Suillus placidus

The cap of Suillus placidus is small, usually 3 to 10 centimeters across. When young it is convex and hemispherical, later opening out to cushion-shaped and almost flat. The cap surface is smooth and slimy, especially in wet weather, as if covered with a thin layer of glaze. The coloring is very pale and characteristic of the species: milky white, ivory or pale cream in young mushrooms, possibly taking on yellowish or ocher tones with age. The slimy skin peels easily off the cap.

Under the cap is a layer of tubes with small pores. In young mushrooms they are whitish or pale yellow, turning yellowish and light ocher as they mature. A characteristic feature of the species is small reddish-brown glandular dots, often visible on the pore surface, and in wet weather droplets of liquid may appear on the young pore surface, leaving rusty spots as they dry. The tubes are short and attached to the stem.

The stem of Suillus placidus is cylindrical, 3 to 8 centimeters tall, relatively thin and solid. Unlike many other Suillus species, it has no ring. The stem is whitish or pale yellow, and its whole surface is covered with characteristic small glandular dots that darken with age to reddish brown or almost purple. These dots, together with the pale cap and growth under five-needle pines, are reliable features of the species. There is no volva.

The flesh of Suillus placidus is tender and soft, white or slightly cream, sometimes with a pale pink tinge in the stem. In the air it barely changes, or very faintly turns pink or brownish when cut. The taste of the flesh is mild and pleasant, with no bitterness. As with all Suillus, it quickly soaks up moisture and softens, so for the table it's better to choose young, springy mushrooms.

The smell of Suillus placidus is weak, mild and pleasantly mushroomy, with no sharp or unpleasant notes. The aroma carries no warning signs, so for identification go by the pale slimy cap, the glandular dots on the stem and the essential presence of five-needle pines nearby.