Slippery Jack - Suillus luteus
Main features
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Fruits Summer to Autumn
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Usually in good numbers
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Grows in association with Pine
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Smells mild and mushroomy
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Cap surface light-, dark- or orange- brown
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Cap is very slimy when wet and smooth when dry
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Cap is dome-shaped and 5-10cm wide
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Sturdy, cylindrical, pale yellow stem
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Stem 2-3cm wide and 5-10cm tall
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Has no stem ring/skirt
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Stem has a floppy white ring that turns dark purple and sticks to the stem with age
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Older stems have dark dots at the top
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Flesh is lemon yellow and does not change colour when damaged
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Pore surface is pale yellow and darkens with
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Pores are irregular-shaped
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Spore print is olive brown
Slippery Jack - Suillus Luteus
Edible mushroom - novice
Other common names: Sticky Bun, Sticky Pine Bolete
Scientific name meaning: Suillus is Latin and means pertaining to swine. Luteus is also Latin and means muddy
Season - when will I find it? From Summer to Autumn
Habitat - where will I find it? Underneath Pine trees
Description - what does it look like?
Growth: The Slippery Jack is mycorrhizal with Pine. It is most often found in good numbers
Cap: The domed cap is usually between 5 and 10cm wide and can be light-, dark, or orange-brown. It is very slimy when wet and smooth when dry
Pores: The irregular-shaped pores are pale yellow and darken with age
Flesh: Lemon yellow and does not change colour when damaged
Stem: Usually 2-3cm wide and 5-10cm tall, the stem is cylindrical and pale yellow. As it ages small dark dots appear at the top of the stem. The base of the stem is covered with odd dark fibres
The Slippery Jack has a white floppy stem ring, which turns a dark purple as it ages. In older specimens it gives the appearance that the bottom part of the stem is a different colour to the upper part
Smell: Mild and mushroomy
Spore colour: Olive brown
Possible lookalikes Could be confused with any of the Larch Bolete (Suillus gravellei), which is also edible but grows in association with Larch
Use as a food Must be cooked and can be used exactly as a cultivated mushroom. Some people have reactions to the slimy covering on the cap, so it should either be removed by cleaning or the entire cap cover peeled away.
Also, the pore surface in older specimens contains a lot of detritus, so should be removed.
Use in medicine The slippery Jack has been shown to inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation under laboratory conditions
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner
Hazards Some people have reactions to the slimy layer on the Slippery Jack's cap. because of this the slime should be cleaned off before cooking, or the cap surface peeled away
Importance to other species Slugs and snails often eat these mushrooms
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
