Local Name
Mukhisdzira (1).

Description
Cap: The cap is 3–15 cm, convex, becoming broadly convex in age, dry, finely velvety or nearly bald, brownish orange at first, becoming rusty brown to medium or dark brown, bruising dark blue to nearly black. Pore Surface: Dull orange when young, orangish red to reddish orange at maturity, bruising promptly blue. Stem: The stem is 5–15 cm long, 2–5 cm thick, tapering to the apex, slightly club-shaped when young, becoming more equal, often with a tapered, rooting portion, prominently reticulate with vertically elongated, orange to red reticulation, often with a red to wine red, velvety base, yellowish to orangish above and reddish below, bruising and discoloring blue. Flesh: The flesh is thick, whitish to yellow in the cap, yellow to red in the stem, bluing when sliced. Spores: The spores are 9–17 X 5–7 µm, broadly fusiform to nearly ellipsoid, smooth, olive brown.
Habitat: On soils, in leafy forests, with oaks and other hardwoods. Season: Summer, autumn.
Distribution: All regions of Georgia (2).

Uses
Edibility: Edible only when cooked (must be boiled first in the water for at least 15-20 minutes, broth is unusable) (1).

References
1. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G. (2007) Fungi of Georgia. Tbilisi: Buneba Printi.
2. Nakhutsrishvili, I.G., et al. (1986) Flora of Spore-producing Plants of Georgia (Summary). Tbilisi: Metsniereba (Russian).