- cap is up to 35cm wide, convex, reddish to yellowish brown, smooth but often uneven.
- underside of cap consists of pores, off-white to olive in age, with no pink tinge.
- flesh is white; flesh and pores unchanging when bruised.
- stem is white or tinted yellow/brown with a characteristic fine, white network extending down from the top of the stem, variable in shape.
- partial veil absent.
- grows singly or as many in conifer and hardwood stands.
- appears in spring, summer and fall.
- has a mild and pleasant taste with no odor; cook before eating.
- tip: boletes are mushrooms that grow on the ground and have a sponge-like surface on the underside of the cap - tiny pores, rather than gills. There are no deadly-poisonous boletes, though some varieties can cause nausea/vomiting. An unknown bolete is safe if it does not bruise blue after being cut, is not red on the underside of the cap, and does not taste foul.
- Small amounts should be consumed when testing an unfamiliar bolete.