Edible mushroom - novice Season - summer to autumn Common names bay bolete, brown bolete, bay brown bolete
Scientific name meaning: Imleria is derived from the name of mycologist Louis Imler. Badia comes from the Latin Badius, meaning brown or chestnut-brown
Habitat  A mycorrhizal fungus that associates with deciduous and coniferous trees, particularly pine, oak, beech and silver birch |
Overall structure and growth  The bay bolete often presents as a neat mushroom that can reach good sizes. It can be found individually but often fruiting in good numbers. |
Cap  The domed cap is usually between 5 and 15cm and dark brown to dark red-brown. The cap is firm and slightly downy when young. It can feel sticky when wet. |
Pores, tubes and spores  The circular pores and tubes are pale yellow, going more yellow green with age. They bruise blue/blue-grey when damaged and are easy to remove from the cap. The spore colour is olive-brown. |
Stem  Usually 2 to 4cm wide and 5 to 15cm tall, the stem is cylindrical, sometimes with a slight curve. It can sometimes be swollen in the mid-section. It is pale yellow in colour with a covering of fine brown threads, which give it a tan streaked look. It has no ring/skirt. |
Flesh, taste and smell  White to pale yellow but slowly staining slightly blue, especially near to the top of the stem and above the tubes. Sometimes stains vinaceous red near the top of the cap. It is usually free of maggots. The smell and taste is mild. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with the bitter bolete (Tylopilus felleus), pictured, which is not poisonous but has a very nasty taste. It's stem is covered in reticulation. The bronze bolete (Boletus aereus), penny bun (Boletus edulis) and summer bolete (Boletus reticulatus) are very similar. However, all three are edible, but all have reticulation on the stem and none has pores or flesh that bruise blue. |
Use as a food Must be cooked and can be used exactly as a cultivated mushroom. It has a rich flavour and dehydrates well if storage is required. Dehydration dramatically enhances the flavour. It makes an excellent stock or sauce.
The pore surface in older specimens contains a lot of detritus so is best removed. Hazards None known
Use in herbal medicine and medicine The bay bolete has shown antidepressant, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential under laboratory conditions
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Slugs and snails often eat these mushrooms. It is also a food source for the red and grey squirrel
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!
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