Slippery jack

Description:

When wet the caps of this species are slimy and in hot sunny weather they dry to a smooth semi-matt finish. Usually dark chestnut brown, but occasionally quite a lot lighter, the caps of Suillus luteus grow to between 5 and 10cm in diameter. Beneath the cap, a white veil covers the lemon yellow pores of this bolete. The veil tears to leave an irregular ring on the stem and often pieces of veil hanging from the cap margin. At first lemon yellow, the medium-sized round pores darken to a sienna-yellow with age. The stem is 2 to 3 cm in diameter and 5 to 10 cm tall. It is pale straw-yellow at first, darkening with a dot pattern above the ring and with an irregular covering of brown longitudinal fibres near the base. The large, floppy stem ring is white initially but usually develops a purplish tinge to its lower surface as the fruitbody matures.

Habitat:

This bolete copes well in cold northern climes, and is very common in Scandinavia, it also occurs throughout the rest of Europe, Asia and North America. It is found in coastal and montane pine forests and exhibits a tolerance of the northern latitudes. It is especially common in pine plantations and young pine forests. It does not require a specific soil but seems to prefer acidic and nutrient-deficient soil.

Notes:

Spotted in National Park De Hoge Veluwe, Holland.