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Boletus fragrans Vittadini (see Dermek 1979) .
It is unlikely, however, that this name is
correct as Vittadini describes this species as a
much darker, sombre brown, with a velvety cap
and pores bruising blue (the bright golden-
yellow pores of this fungus and of B. impolitus
are unchanging when bruised). I believe that
the true B. fragrans may well be a strictly
mediterranean species, whereas this fungus clearly
tolerates quite cool conditions (Essex is not
the most equable of climatic regions). An
illustration of what may be the true B. fragrans
is shown in Roger Phillips book (1981) on page
197: the specimens illustrated were collected
on the continent but were included as the species
is recorded on the British list (incorrectly?).
On the same page are illustrated two collections
of B. impolitus and the left hand illustration is
a good example of the mystery fungus. The right
hand picture is a good B. impolitus (Roger Phillips
included the two types in order to illustrate the
confusion that exists in the identification of
B. impolitus, pers. comm.).
The faint blue flush shows up well in the cap
flesh of the left hand fungus as do the reddish
spots and cap colour differences. So, if it is
not B. impolitus and not B. fragrans what is it?
Well, a species was described by Elias Fries in
1889 called B. obsonium, which has been synonymised
by most modern authors with other species,
including B. fragrans and B. impolitus, and so
has come to be dropped from current usage. The
description of B. obsonium fits very closely
however, to our mystery fungus and the name
has recently been resurrected and the fungus
re-described by a French mycologist Jean Blum, and
he clearly has the same fungus in mind So, if
any name is to be used at all it should be
B. obsonium. The author would be pleased to hear