Brown birch bolete

Various shades of brown, sometimes with a red or grey tinge, the cap of Leccinum scabrum is often misshapen and the margin wavy. The surface is initially finely tomentose, like velvet, but usually becomes smoother with age. Caps range from 5 to 15cm in diameter when fully expanded. The small, circular tubes are broadly adnexed, but not adnate, to the stem. They are 1 to 2 cm long, off-white, and terminate in pores that are similarly coloured, sometimes with brownish spots. When bruised, the pores do not undergo a rapid colour change but gradually turn slightly browner. White or buff and 7 to 20 cm tall, the stems of Leccinum scabrum are 2 to 3 cm in diameter. Immature specimens have barrel-shaped stems, at maturity most stems are more regular in diameter, tapering slightly towards the cap. Dark brown woolly scales cover the whole of the stem surface but are noticeably coarser on the lower part of the stem. The stem flesh is white and sometimes turns slightly pink when it is cut or broken, but never blue. A helpful identifying feature.