Species details

Royal bolete

Butyriboletus regius

Conditional / expert preparation
Royal bolete – Butyriboletus regius

Photo: Bojan Seguliev · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source · License

Description

A striking pink-red bolete with bright yellow pores and a yellow reticulate stem that normally does not blue; protected in Slovenia.

Identification features

The cap is 5–20 cm wide, pink to wine-red. Pores and stem are bright yellow, with yellow reticulation on the stem. The yellow flesh normally does not change colour when cut.

Identification checklist

Check the pink-red cap, bright yellow pores, yellow stem reticulation and absence of blueing.

Detailed features

Cap
The cap is 5–20 cm wide, pink to wine-red.
Hymenophore
Pores and stem are bright yellow, with yellow reticulation on the stem.
Stem
Pores and stem are bright yellow, with yellow reticulation on the stem.
Flesh
The yellow flesh normally does not change colour when cut.

Size

Cap diameter
5–20 cm

Habitat

Grows in warm open deciduous woodland on calcareous soil with beech, oak and hornbeam in summer and early autumn.

Fruiting period

June, July, August, September

Ecology

Host trees
Beech (Fagus), Oak (Quercus), Hornbeam (Carpinus)
Soil
Calcareous
Notes
Grows in warm open deciduous woodland on calcareous soil with beech, oak and hornbeam in summer and early autumn.

How to separate similar species

Butyriboletus pseudoregius may blue and is usually paler. Expert confirmation is advisable for rare reddish boletes.

Similar species

Conservation

Protected species
Yes
Red list
R – rare species
Notes
The species is legally protected in Slovenia under the regulation on protected wild fungi. On the Slovenian Red List: R – rare species. In the 2011 Slovenian regulation the species is listed as Boletus regius; FungiTrail uses the more recent name Butyriboletus regius.

Extended-description sources