Slippery Jack

Suillus luteus (L.) Roussel

1 Observations

3 weeks ago Last Observed

Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus) is a classic pine-wood bolete, and the name says it all: in wet weather the reddish-brown to purplish-brown cap is coated in thick, glistening slime. The small, round pores are bright yellow and hidden at first under a white veil. When the veil tears it leaves a large, floppy ring on the stem, white above and lavender to purplish below, and the stem above it is dotted with tiny glandular granules.

It grows with Scots Pine, often in plantations and along woodland rides and tracks, from May into November.

It is edible once the slimy skin is peeled and the mushroom is well cooked, though the slime can upset some people's stomachs. The Weeping Bolete (Suillus granulatus) and Bovine Bolete (Suillus bovinus) have no ring, and the Larch Bolete (Suillus grevillei) has a bright orange-yellow cap and grows only with larch.

Spore Print

Season

Native

non-toxic

Distribution

Widespread and common

Habitat

With Pinus sylvestris

Etymology

Suillus is from the Latin sus, 'pig', usually taken to refer to the greasy cap. luteus is Latin for 'yellow', after the pores.

Associates

Pinus

Conservation

LC - Least Concern

IUCN Red Data List - Suillus luteus
Assessment date: 2019

Cap

Very slimy when wet, drying glossy; the skin peels easily.

Colour
Shape	Convex, Flattened
Surface	Glutinous, Viscid
Width	5 - 12 cm

Pores

Small and round, bright yellow becoming duller with age; covered by a white veil when young.

Colour
Shape	Round

Tubes

Colour

Flesh

Pale yellow and soft.

Colour
Odour	Not distinctive

Stem

The stem is 5-10 cm tall, pale yellow to white, with a thick ring that is lavender on the underside. It is covered with numerous small whitish to brownish glandular dots and is white at the base with white mycelium.