Bluefoot Bolete - Xerocomellus cisalpinus

A small to medium bolete associated with deciduous and coniferous trees, including Oak. It has a dry, brown cap and yellow pores that stain blue when bruised.  The stipe is yellow above and with red dots and fibres below.  There is a zone of red flesh under the cap surface, revealed when it is cracked or nibbled.  The flesh of the stipe and cap slowly stains slowly blue throughout when cut; the surface of the stipe also stains blue a few minutes after it is bruised.

3 other Xerocomellus species are frequently or occasionally recorded in VC55.  All have dry, brown caps and yellow pores that stain blue when bruised.  Identification can be difficult, and the species have been much confused in the past.

• Red Cracking Bolete (X. chrysenteron) is associated wth conifers, rarely Beech, never Oak. It has a zone of red flesh under the cap surface revealed when it is cracked or nibbled. 
• Matt Bolete (X. pruinatus) is associated with Beech.  The cap is usually darker plum-brown or red brown, not cracking, and has a narrow red margin.
• Sepia Bolete (X. porosporus) is associated with deciduous and coniferous trees, including Oak.  The cap cracks to reveal cream flesh, not red.  The grey-brown stipe usually has a narrow red zone below the yellow apex.

Photograph a fresh specimen from top down and in side view, and underneath to show pores and full length of stipe.  Note habitat and substrate. Check for staining on cap, stipe and pores when bruised.  We also recommend cutting vertically through cap and stem to show flesh colour and any staining; this can take some time to develop.

Deciduous and coniferous trees, including Oak.

It is now thought that this species is commoner than previous records suggest - species recorded under oak as Red Cracking Bolete Xerocomellus chysenteron are more likely to be this species.  See Kibby, G. (2017) British Boletes with keys to species (8th edn.) for more details.