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    Matte bolete

    Xerocomellus pruinatus (Fr.) Šutara · Boletaceae

    ✓ EdibleRisk of confusion: low

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Matte bolete
    Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
    Matte bolete
    Photo: Dezidor · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The matte bolete has a dark, chestnut to blackish-brown cap that is finely frosted when young, and yellow pores. It appears mainly in autumn.

    SeasonSeptember to November
    Spore printolive brown
    FamilyBoletaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 3 to 8 cm wide, dark chestnut brown to wine brown, finely frosted when young and hardly cracked.
    2. Underside. The pores are yellow and stain blue when pressed.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is yellow, reddish towards the bottom. There is no ring or volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It smells and tastes mild.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is deep yellow, wine red under the cap skin; there is no red in the stem.

    Lookalikes

    Watch out for gold mould and collect only young specimens.

    Habitat & Season

    Various soils, also nitrogen-rich path edges. From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Spruce, beech, oak, hornbeam.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Also in summer during cold snaps.

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

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    Chance near you

    How good are the chances of finding this species where you are right now? We calculate it from weather, soil moisture, altitude and forest at your location.

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    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. Only eat mushrooms you have identified with certainty, and always cook them thoroughly.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    No species-specific rule known.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    In the kitchen

    In mixed dishes. Cook thoroughly.

    Possible.

    Frequently asked questions

    Matte bolete: is it edible?

    Yes, it is considered an edible mushroom. Cook thoroughly. Watch out for gold mould and collect only young specimens.

    Matte bolete: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from September to November. Also in summer during cold snaps. Tree partners and habitat: Spruce, beech, oak, hornbeam. Soil: Various soils, also nitrogen-rich path edges. Elevation: From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Matte bolete: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Red cracking bolete (Xerocomellus chrysenteron, edible): It has reddish flesh in the stem and a cap skin cracked into patches. Other lookalikes: Bay bolete.

    Related species

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    Sources

    Photo credits

    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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