Latin Name: Gyroporus cyanescens

Other Names: Bluing or Blue-Staining Bolete

Characteristics

• cap and stalk externally are beige, or buff, or light shades of yellow
• cap and stalk have “cracked-like” or “honey-comb-like” or “scale-like” pattern
• cap and stalk have “velvety” or “gently hairy” texture
• white, small pores in size and in proportion to flesh
• white flesh, staining blue almost immediately upon being cut or damaged
• bluing reaction results from the oxidation of a compound called gyrocyanin
• blue stain disappears within moments of being cooked, and turns the mushrooms a beautiful golden color
• may be mistaken for a puffball as a young specimen, before stem emerges
• may grow singly, but often grow as pairs, groups, or families

Habitat

• found in roadsides
• found in sandy soil or gravel

Edibility

• edible, cap and stalk
• pleasant, mild flavor
• excellent texture

Notes

• There is a commonly held myth shared in some mushroom resources that blue-staining Boletes are poisonous, however this is not true—some edible Boletes stain blue, and some toxic Boletes do not stain blue. Therefore this characteristic cannot be used to accurately determine edibility.

Personal Experience

When I first encountered this species in a gravel and sand mixed ditch at the side of a road, and coincidentally close to a puffball, at first I thought it was some form of puffball. However on closer examination I realized that it had a stem, and based on its pores, rather than gills, looked like some sort of Bolete. It was a tougher variety to identify because the images I found in my guides and online, did not quite match my first specimen. It wasn’t until I cut into it, and saw the blue-staining flesh, that I got a major clue while allowed me to identify the species.

I have to date found several patches of them, and greatly enjoyed cooking and consuming them. They are in my opinion a choice mushroom for the following reasons:

• they hold their shape and size well during cooking, rather than significantly shrinking or becoming slimy like often happens with most mushrooms
• excellent texture and amount of “flesh” due to very small pores (some Boletes have very large or thick pores, which often results in a slimy texture or very shrunken mushroom)
• their cooked color and flavor are both very pleasant (they turn a beautiful golden color within a few minutes of being subjected to heat)
• unlike many other Boletes, they are not commonly (in fact so far I have not found any at all) taken over by insects/larvae, allowing it to provide a substantial harvest and meal depending on how many are found