Deceiving Bolete May 2012

Deceiving Bolete May 2012

A pleasant Sunday and a good day to walk to my local garden centre via St. John's Theological College and across the fields - round trip about 3 miles.  I'd persuaded a friend to join me on the promise that she would taste the best and biggest piece of  Lemon Meringue Pie in the district.  No fungi to be seen en route and disappointingly 'The Pie' was off the menu.  Carrot Cake had to suffice.  We set off on the return walk and just outside the Theological College hiding behind an oak tree was the biggest, and most vivid coloured bolete I'd ever seen.  The cap being well  in excess of 15 cm diam and brick red with hues of orange. My camera did not pick up the brick red colour in the photographs. The stem also being the broadest I'd ever seen - 80 cm across and bulbous containing hues of coral, yellow, pink and brick red.  When touched the cap stained blue and had blue bruising evidence.  It has taken much research for me to believe it might be a Deceiving Bolete - Boletus queletii, particularly as the margin edge over-hung by a mm  or so.  It was a magnificent fungi to look at and photograph.  A great end and more than made up for the lack of Lemon Meringue Pie.

Yellow Stainer

Can't be certain about Agaricus xanthodermus but this young fungus had all the characteristics ie.

chrome yellow staining on the cap and also at the base of the stem.  Also the cap had very small

brown/grey scales. A small group growing in grass near assorted trees.  According to

Roger Phillips Mushrooms this is vulnerable needing to be protected and is on the Red Data List.

It would be nice if that was indeed what I saw.

All the above can be viewed on Browse 4.