Boletus rubellus Krombh. Cap 3-8cm across, broadly convex then flattened; scarlet red when young, becoming dull olivaceous red with age, margin often yellowish; dry and velvety, finally glabrous, and often areolate. Tubes dull yellow. Pores lemon yellow then greenish yellow, bruising blue. Stem 40-80 x 4-8mm, equal; bright yellow at apex, shading to bright rose red or scarlet below, with yellow basal mycelium. Flesh yellowish, staining blue when cut. Odor pleasant. Taste slightly soapy. Spores subellipsoid, 10-13 x 4-5µ. Deposit olive-brown. Habitat often gregarious in grassy woodlands, especially oak. Found in Europe and the northeastern United States. Season July-September. Edible but often maggoty. Comment This is one of a complex of very closely related species, often separable only with microscopic examination.