Boletus satanas Lenz
Schwamme p. 67. 1831.

Photo: Mature sporocarp showing abruptly bulbous base.

Common Name: Satan's Bolete

• Pileus

  Cap 10-22 cm in diameter, convex, becoming broadly convex; pale grey to pale olive-buff, pinkish tones sometimes developing in age particularly along the margin, occasionally aereolate near the disc; flesh olive-buff, thick, bruising blue; odor and taste undistinguished.

• Hymenophore

  Pores fine, dark red, fading in age to reddish-orange, bruising blue.

• Stipe

  Stipe 7-14 cm tall, base abruptly bulbous, up to 13+cm broad, narrowing to 4-7 cm at the apex; pink to vinaceous reticulations above, pale pinkish tones below, fading in age; flesh same as cap, bruising blue.

• Spores

  Spores 11-15 x 3.5-6 µm, elliptical, smooth. Spore print olive-brown.

• Habitat

  Solitary to scattered under oaks, especially Quercus agrifolia (Coast Liveoak); from late fall to early winter; common in some years, rare in others.

• Edibility

  Described as toxic in the literature, though some people in the San Francisco Bay Area claim that it can safely be eaten if thoroughly cooked.

• Comments

  Boletus satanas is easily recognized by its massive, abruptly bulbous stipe with vinaceous reticulation at the apex. Other important field characters are the pale-colored cap usually with a pinkish margin in age, red pores, and blueing of virtually all parts of the fruiting body when bruised or cut. Boletus pulcherrimus is another robust Boletus species with dark red pores. However, it has a darker cap and lacks an abruptly bulbous stipe base.

  With furthur investigation, our "Boletus satanas" may be turn out to be distinct from the true Boletus satanas of Europe. If this is the case, then the correct name for our taxa would be Boletus eastwoodiae (Murr.) Sacc. & Trott.

• References

  Bessette, A.E., Roody, W.C. & Bessette, A.R. (2000). North American Boletes: A Color Guide to the Fleshy Pored Mushrooms. Syracuse University Press: Syracuse, NY. 400 p.
  Thiers, H.D. (1965). California Boletes. I. Mycologia 57(4): 524-534.
  Thiers, H.D. (1975). California Mushrooms—A Field Guide to the Boletes. Hafner Press: New York, NY. 261 p. (WWW)

• Other Descriptions and Photos
  • Tom Duffy: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Terry Goyan: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Fred Stevens: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Fred Stevens: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Fred Stevens: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Boletes of California: Boletus satanas (D & CP)
  • Beverly Hackett: Boletus satanas (I)
  • Beverly Hackett: Boletus satanas (I)
  • Beverly Hackett: Boletus satanas (I)
  • Hugh Smith: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Il Mondo dei Funghi: Boletus satanas (D & CP)
  • F. Blacher: Boletus satanas (D & I)
  • Cercle de Mycologie de Mons: Boletus satanas (D & CP)
  • Sommario funghi: Boletus satanas (D & CP)
  • Svampe i Oestjylland: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Svampbok: Boletus satanas (D & CP)
  • Robert Rich: Boletus satanas (D & CP)
  • Page perso de JJ.Wuilbaut: Boletus satanas (CP)
  • Arora (1986): p. 527 (D), plate 137 (CP)
  • Arora (1991): p. 168 (D & CP)
  • Bessette et al. (2000): p. 156 (D), p. 310 (CP)
  • Jordan: p. 339 (D & CP)
  • Breitenbach & Kränzlin (vol. 3): sp. 20 (D, I, & CP)
  • Miller: sp. 308 (D & CP)
  • Phillips: p. 236 (D), p. 237 (CP)
  • Smith: sp. 40 (D & CP)
  • Thiers (1975): p. 58 (D)
  
  

  (D=Description; I=Illustration; P=Photo; CP=Color Photo)