Mushroom in my garden Boletus?

I will appreciate some id on mushrooms in my garden.
have had similar before but this time have 6 large ones!
the biggest grew to over 14" at the widest of the cap.
Left them undisturbed to spore and possibly have more later.
It has been a very wet season and suspect it has helped since we in a fairly dry area.

It is definitely a Boletus or closely related species, but I am not certain which one. Many Boletus species live in symbiotic union with certain species of trees. What kind of trees are growing nearby?

What region of the world did you find the mushrooms in? (Very, very important to know when identifying mushrooms!)

Spore color would be another good clue for identification.

Does it bruise blue at all?

There are no deadly species of Boletus, but there are some that taste bad or might cause gastrointestinal upset.

This is not mushroom country - North West South Africa. 500mm rain pa.
It was growing under Acacia Karroo tree or (Acacia Robusta) they look similar.
I did not cut it so dont know if it changes color. Also did not see any spores.
There are some pines growing about 250 yards away.
There were about 7 in total growing in a 6ft circle.
next one will be carefully checked to id it.
I was really surprised at the size the biggest one grew to (14")
the others were all about 6-8" across.

You might google up 'king bolete'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis

The first mushroom that came to mind when I saw the pictures was Boletus edulis - the shape is very close with that fat stem - but the colors are wrong for this species.

In general, it is best to consult guide books crafted for your specific geographic region, as some species will have deadly look-a-likes in other parts of the world. Immigrants who are experienced mushroom foragers will often poison themselves when moving to a different country because they mistake the local mushrooms for those growing in their home country.

If there are no printed guides available for South Africa, perhaps you can find somebody locally who is experienced in foraging mushrooms. Some areas have mycological societies where mushroom hunters can get together and share their collective wisdom.

The Wikipedia page on Boletus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus notes that at least one person worldwide has been killed by eating a poisonous Boletus mushroom, so exercise caution before eating any mushrooms that you find.

If you are determined to try some, first taste a small piece raw, chewing it up and spitting it out. If it tastes bad, don't eat it. If it tastes good, then you might consider cooking up a small piece, eating that, and waiting several days to see if there are any adverse reactions before consuming more.

Even if you are absolutely certain a mushroom is not poisonous, a cautious approach is best as many people can be allergic to mushrooms considered edible and delicious by others.

frankenstoen wrote:

If you are determined to try some, first taste a small piece raw, chewing it up and spitting it out. If it tastes bad, don't eat it. If it tastes good, then you might consider cooking up a small piece, eating that, and waiting several days to see if there are any adverse reactions before consuming more.

No!  A poisonous mushroom might taste fine but destroy your kidneys/liver!

No!  A poisonous mushroom might taste fine but destroy your kidneys/liver!

I meant cooking and eating a small piece AFTER a positive ID has been made. I should have made that more clear, my wording is confusing.

Tasting and spitting out a small piece is a recommended way of telling different Boletus species apart, found in many guidebooks. Any Bolete that tastes bad raw should be avoided.

The Boletacae family of mushrooms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletaceae are considered to be one the safest groups of mushrooms out there, but poisonings and allergic reactions ARE possible. As far as we know, the few poisonous species in the Boletacae do not contain any delayed-action kidney/liver toxins - they contain gastro-intestinal/possibly allergenic toxins, which show their symptoms rather quickly.

Some people will be sickened by mushrooms that other people can safely eat. (Just like some people can be killed by being in the same room as peanut butter.) Always proceed with caution when adding any new food source to your diet, especially mushrooms. And I would suggest always cooking mushrooms thoroughly. Many "edible" species are poisonous until they are cooked.

There are no old, bold mushroom hunters.

I think that there is a very good chance that this mushroom is Boletus pinophilus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_pinophilus

Frankenstoen - the shape closely resembles Boletus pinophilus: and If there appear any more then I can check if it chaneges color when cut or bruised. thus getting more positive id.
They however were not orange or reddish in any way. More yellow below and olive brown on top.
The patch they grew is rather exposed (lots of light) but under a tree in an  area uncultivated for 30 years or more. Putting in indigenous wild edible trees and including patches of sweet potato, raspberry, chayote into large trees, pigeon peas, potato in mulch (very easy) , and will try mushrooms on wood since mushrooms to me are sooo good.
Thanks a lot !

Don't forget to do a spore print!

I think it's a Xerocomus, maybe X. Chrysenteron.

I would guess that this is a Boletus, it has the classic shape, but it's probably not Boletus edulis, because the stem is too yellow. It looks similar to the butter bolete, Boletus appendiculatus, which is found on the West Coast of the United States. When identifying boletes to species, it is important to check for staining, spore coloration and for "reticulation"- a hard-to-see, raised, net-like pattern found on the upper stems of members of the edible B. edulis group. Consulting local wildcrafters AND a regional mushroom book is always the best way to confirm a mushroom's ID before eating it. It sure LOOKS yummy, but "when in doubt, leave it out".