Boletus aereus, the dark cep or bronze bolete, is a porcini of Boletus section Boletus. It is ectomycorrhizal with broadleaf trees and shrubs in warm parts of Europe and North Africa. It has a dark, slightly velvety cap and a brown-netted stem, and it fruits mostly in hot spells in summer and autumn.
Edible and highly prized, especially in southern Europe, where many rate it above B. edulis; dries well. Beginners should rule out the bitter Tylopilus felleus (pinkish pores, dark net on the stem) and poisonous red-pored, blue-bruising boletes such as Rubroboletus satanas.
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Habitat
Ectomycorrhizal with broadleaf trees and shrubs, notably cork oak, other oaks, beech and sweet chestnut, also strawberry tree, tree heath and rockrose; in woodland, parks and roadsides, preferring acidic soils. Fruits in summer and autumn, mostly during hot spells.
Distribution
Mainly central and southern Europe and North Africa, including Mediterranean islands such as Corsica, Cyprus, Lesvos and Naxos; rare in colder areas such as England; listed as vulnerable in the Czech Republic. Western North American collections once reported under this name are now Boletus regineus. Reports from China are doubtful.
Characteristics
Cap: typically 15-20 cm, occasionally to 40 cm; hemispherical to convex; slightly velvety; dark brown when young, later greyish, violet or purplish brown, often with copper, golden or olive patches. Pores: whitish when young, becoming yellowish to greenish yellow; tubes white, later yellowish to olivaceous. Stem: 5-15 cm long, 2-5 cm thick; white at first, then brown to chestnut or reddish brown; brown or same-coloured reticulation. Flesh: white; strong, pleasant hazelnut-like smell; mild, sweet taste. Spores: spindle-shaped, 10.5-19 x 4-7 um.
