Syn.: Krombholziella insignis (A. H. Sm., Thiers et Watling) Šutara, Leccinum insigne var. luteopallidum A. H. Sm., Thiers et Watling, Leccinum insigne A. H. Sm., Thiers et Watling, Leccinum insigne var. brunneum Thiers
Family: Boletaceae Chevall.
Distribution: North American species found in Alaska and mainly in Rocky Mountains from Canada to Colorado, in California in Sierra Nevada, from foothills to 2800 m altitude.
Ecology: Widely scattered to slightly gregarious in aspen and mixed forests (associated primarily with aspen), in moss but even in dry packed soil. Fruiting from July to September.
Description: Cap colour quite variable but predominantly orange to brown, rarely white, turning sticky with age, smooth to minutely fibrillose, skin flap along edge, often split, up to 20 cm across. Pore surface white, turning to ochre with age and when bruised, indented at stalk. Stalk white, densely covered with reddish brown scale like ornamentation, turning black with age, 6–15 cm tall (longer when growing in moss), up to 4 cm thick at base, tapering upward; flesh white, discolours grey when cut. Spore print yellow-brown.
Edibility: Choice for all dishes, especially cut in larger cubes and made as chicken paprikash (see recipes for Hungarian cuisine). Freezes well.
Note: The white specimen below was found next to regular orange insigne. Considered it Leccinum niveum, which is supposed to be a synonym of Leccinum scabrum, however L. scabrum does not occur in Alberta nor in British Columbia.
These images were taken in Canada, Alberta, Bragg Creek (September 2012, 2013).
