A summer mushroom

Bolete mushrooms grow on the ground near trees, have umbrella-like caps and have pores rather than gills on the underside of the cap.

There are many different kinds of bolete mushrooms in North America. Many of them are safe to eat when prepared properly, but some are poisonous and will make you very ill if eaten. Some boletes are small with caps no bigger than a nickel. Others, like the cluster I have photographed here, can be more than six inches tall and rather bulky.

Identifying mushrooms is not easy. Never assume any mushroom you have found is good to eat.

Mycology is the study of fungi. The Missouri Mycological Society is a good source of information and advice on mushrooms in Missouri. Mushroom identification begins with a good photograph. If you find a strange-looking one that you cant identify, take its picture.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourain.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more work by him at the Painted Wren Gallery.