Suillus pictus A.H. Sm. & Thiers
Family: Suillaceae
Kesha Losha,  more...
Suillus pictus image
National Mushroom Centre  
Mata, M., D. Penjor and S. Pradham. 2010. Fungi of Bhutan. National Mushroom Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu, Bhutan.

Local name: Kesha Losha

Edibility: Edible

Habitat: Scattered to gregarious and terrestrial under pine.

Description: Cap: 5-10 cm across, cone-shaped or convex becoming flat, with an incurved margin often hung with veil remnants, red to reddish yellow with coarse scales, surface dry and flaky, sometimes tacky in wet young specimens. Hymenophore: Tubes adnate to decurrent and bright yellow.  Stem: 5-10 cm tall and up to 2 cm wide, solid, sometimes wider at the bottom yellow at the top above the ring, scaly, flaky, and patchy below similar to the cap. White veil with pink patches, delicate, fibrous, leaving a dull-coloured ring on the stem. Flesh: Downy yellow changing to dull pink or reddish if bruised. Spore Print: Olive brown.

Comments: It can often be found in large quantities in pine woods, where it is frequently the dominant species. It starts decaying before it is fully mature thus few collectors collect only the cap as it is not yet destroyed by tiny larva. Though it is bright red to identify at first sight care should be taken when collecting mature specimens as the bright colour is usually faded in maturity which resembles other poisonous Suillus species.

Suillus pictus image
Sabitra Pradhan  
Suillus pictus image
Sabitra Pradhan  
Suillus pictus image
Sabitra Pradhan