Red-cracking Bolete

The first day of November was dank - continuous grey skies with periods of persistent rain. 

Having spent a couple of days at the computer, Pete and I felt in need of a change of scene and some fresh air. We drove out to the farm shop to buy more quinces and then went on to Bourne Woods, where we walked through the drizzle looking for fungi. 

We found a few species, including this Red-cracking Bolete. This is one of the commoner species of bolete round Peterborough and features a brown to olive brown cap that quickly begins to develop a cracked, mosaic-like surface in which pinkish flesh is exposed in the cracks. Other distinguishing features include its small to medium size, its general stature (the stem is usually longer than the cap is wide), and its usual-but-not-exclusive preference for deciduous trees, particularly oaks.

Many boletes are highly prized by foragers, but this species is not one of  them. The texture is a bit soft and slimy when cooked but if the pores are removed and the mushroom fried hard or dried, re-hydrated and cooked the texture is very much improved.