Community find

Slippery Jack

Suillus luteus

Group

Bolete mushroom

Season

Late summer to autumn.

Habitat

Mycorrhizal with pine trees, often found in plantations, disturbed areas, and forests with an abundance of pine. Grows on the ground.

Key characteristics

Cap: 5-15 cm wide, convex to broadly convex or nearly flat with age, sticky or slimy when wet, yellow-brown to dark brown. Stipe: 4-10 cm long, 1-2.5 cm thick, whitish to yellowish, often with a purplish-brown ring and dotted with glandular spots below the ring. Pores: Angled, yellowish, becoming olive-yellow with age. Spore print: Olive-brown.

Look-alikes

Other Suillus species, but S. luteus is distinguished by its prominent purplish-brown ring and gooey cap. Suillus grevillei (Larch Bolete) is similar but grows exclusively with larch trees and has a more orange-yellow cap.

Ecological role

Mycorrhizal, forming a symbiotic relationship with pine trees where the fungus aids the tree in nutrient and water absorption, and the tree provides sugars to the fungus. Important for the health and growth of pine forests.