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Bitter Bolete

Inedible

Autumn

Summer

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Bitter Bolete, Tylopilus felleus

Can cause excitement when first found due to thinking you have found a Penny Bun and although this mushroom is technically edible if it is mistakenly added to a meal it will ruin it and render it too bitter for consumption.

Mushroom Type
Common Names	Bitter Bolete (EN), Cap Tyllog Chwerw (CY), Goryczak Żółciowy (PL), Epeízű Tinóru (HU)
Scientific Name	Boletus / Tylopilus felleus
Synonyms	Boletus felleus
Season Start	Jul
Season End	Oct
Average Mushroom height (CM)	7-10
Average Cap width (CM)	7-10

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Please note that each and every mushroom you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.

Cap

7-10 cm. Pale to dark brown. Starting convex with a suede like covering but flattening out, losing any small hairs and sometimes splitting with age.

Pores

Starts with white, sponge like pores that develop a pink tinge around the pore openings and will bruise pink when damaged eventually turning brown.

Stem

7-10 cm long, 2-3 cm diameter. Off white to tan with a darker net like pattern or reticulation, particularly towards the top of the stem. The base is usually wider than the top.

Flesh

White and unchanging sometimes with a pink flush.

Habitat

Mixed woodland, more often with broadleaf trees but will grow with coniferous trees.

Possible Confusion

Can look very like a Penny Bun (Boletus edulis), pictured, or Summer Bolete (Boletus reticulatus) but the reticulation on the stem is dark on a lighter background for the Bitter Bolete and light on a slightly darker background for the Penny Bun and Summer Bolete and the pores of the Penny Bun and Summer Bolete do not bruise to a pink colour like the Bitter Bolete.