Suillus tomentosus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suillus tomentosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Boletales
Family:	Suillaceae
Genus:	Suillus
Species:	S. tomentosus
Binomial name
Suillus tomentosus (Kauffman) Singer
Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist.

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

Suillus tomentosus is a type of mushroom. People often call it the blue-staining slippery Jack. Other common names are poor man's slippery Jack and woolly-capped suillus.

What it Looks Like

The top part of the mushroom, called the cap, is usually 5 to 12 centimeters (about 2 to 5 inches) wide. It can be pale yellow to orange-yellow. The cap has a fuzzy or woolly feel, which helps tell it apart from other mushrooms in its group. When the cap is fresh, it feels sticky.

Underneath the cap, the tubes are yellow. If you press or bruise these tubes, they will turn blue. The stem, or stipe, is 4 to 11 centimeters (about 1.5 to 4.5 inches) tall and 1 to 3 centimeters (about 0.4 to 1.2 inches) wide. It has small dots and is similar in color to the cap.

When the mushroom is young, its spores are brownish. The spore print, which is the color of many spores together, is dark olive brown to brown. A cool thing about this mushroom is that it can stain your fingers blue! It does not have a special covering called a veil. If you cut the mushroom open, the yellow inside should slowly turn green-blue.

Is it Safe to Eat?

Some people eat Suillus tomentosus, but others find it tastes a bit sour, even after cooking. This mushroom has been known to cause stomach problems for some people.

One mushroom expert, David Arora, said this mushroom tastes very plain. He also shared that one person thought the dried mushroom smelled and tasted like Tootsie Rolls. Others have said it smells like almonds. If you are looking for this mushroom to eat, it's very important to be careful. You need to make sure it's not a different, poisonous mushroom that also stains blue.

Similar Mushrooms

Some mushrooms that look similar to Suillus tomentosus include S. fuscotomentosus, S. reticulatus, S. variegatus, and Boletus subtomentosus.

Where it Grows

You can often find Suillus tomentosus in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest region. It is not as common in the states around the Great Lakes.

In the Rocky Mountains, this mushroom grows in the summer. Along the Pacific coast and in the lake states, it grows in the autumn. You can find it growing alone or in small groups in mixed forests. It commonly grows under lodgepole pine trees or other pine trees with two needles. It is rarely found under jack pine trees.

Suillus tomentosus forms a special partnership with lodgepole pine trees. This partnership is called ectomycorrhizae. It means the mushroom's roots connect with the tree's roots. This connection helps the tree get important nutrients.

Scientists have found that this mushroom helps the pine tree get nitrogen from the soil. Nitrogen is a very important nutrient for plants to grow. This system works a bit like how root nodules on plants like clover help them get nitrogen. Lodgepole pines can grow in places where the soil doesn't have much nitrogen, like gravel pits. Because of its partnership with S. tomentosus, the lodgepole pine is often one of the first plants to grow in disturbed areas. It helps make the soil better for other plants to grow later.

See also

In Spanish: Suillus tomentosus para niños

• List of North American boletes