Xerocomus rubellus    (Krombh.) Quél. 

common name(s) : Ruby Bolete, Red-cap Bolete 

New classification: Basidiomycota/Agaricomycotina/Agaricomycetes/Agaricomycetidae/Boletales/Boletaceae  
Former classification: Basidiomycota/Homobasidiomycetes/Agaricomycetideae/Boletales/Boletaceae  

synonyms: Xerocomellus rubellus, Xerocomus versicolor, Boletus rubellus, Boletus versicolor, Xerocomus communis, Boletus sanguineus 
(unconfirmed synonyms: Hortiboletus rubellus)  

edibility : discard

photo gallery of  Xerocomus rubellus
photo gallery of  Xerocomus rubellus potential confusions with  Xerocomus rubellus toxicity of Xerocomus rubellus genus Xerocomus  

The cap is red, pink to bright wine-red or purple-red, getting paler with age, with sometimes some olivaceous shades at the margin, fleshy, convex then expanded, sometimes a bit depressed or wavy. The cap surface is slightly shiny or matt, dry and never slimy, hardly peelable (a quarter in at most). It is downy then smooth, cracked in dry weather showing the yellow flesh underneath. The cap margin is thick, regular, white then concolorous.

The stem is slender, rather long, full and fibrous, cylindrical, spindle-shaped or club-shaped often with a rooting base. It is bright yellow at the top, red (like the cap) in the middle and rusty brown towards the base. It is slightly turning blue when touched..

The flesh is firm at first then soft, whitish to yellowish in the cap, orange yellow to brown in the stem base. It turns to blue-green slightly but clearly when cut and exposed to air, especially at the stem's apex. It is yellow just underneath the cap surface; its taste is faint and mild or bitter; the odour is weak, of puffball;

The tubes are round at the stem, removable from cap, short (4-15mm). They are lemon yellow then olivaceous yellow, turning blue when exposed to air.

The pores are rather large (1mm), simple, angular, lemon yellow then olive green to ultimately dark brown. They become slightly blue-green when pressed. The spore print is olive brown.

It grows in grassy areas, hedges, embankments, edges of broad-leaved woods, or in parks, with oak and chestnut.

The fruiting period takes place from June to November.
Dimensions: width of cap approximately 7 cm (between 3 and 15 cm)
  height of stem approximately 7 cm (between 3 and 14 cm)
  thickness of stem (at largest section) approximately 15 mm (between 5 and 30 mm)
  spores : 9-14 x 4,5-6 microns, ellipsoid to almost spindle-shaped

Chemical tests : The flesh turns : brown orange-yellow when in contact with potash, olive grey when in contact with iron sulphate, Prussian blue when in contact with formaldehyde, but almost without reaction to ammonia.

Distinctive features : red cap and stem; yellow flesh just underneath cap surface; yellow to green pores, turning blue when pressed; in grassy areas

Xerocomus rubellus is infrequent and widely present in the forest of Rambouillet, and is infrequent, more generally speaking .
here should be the distribution map of Xerocomus rubellus in the forest of Rambouillet
Above : distribution map of Xerocomus rubellus in the forest of Rambouillet



page updated on 14/01/18