A brown mushroom with a sticky, slimy cap and a yellowish pore surface underneath. A fungus that grows under pines. The cap is five to ten centimetres across. It often has a slightly greasy feel when wet. Small, glandular dots called granules cover the upper part of the stalk. This feature gives the species its name. A mushroom that wears its name on its stem. The texture is specific. The identification is tactile. Underneath the cap, instead of gills, there is a spongy layer of pores. These pores are yellowish. They become darker with age. When touched, they may stain slightly brown. The stalk is four to eight centimetres tall. It often has a ring zone where the partial veil once attached. The structure is distinct. The colour is variable. The form is functional. This mushroom is mycorrhizal. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of introduced pine trees. It cannot survive without its host. The fungus wraps its mycelium around the tree's fine root tips. It exchanges water and minerals for carbohydrates. It is a marriage of convenience that benefits both partners. A fungus that needs a tree. The dependency is total. The exchange is mutual. The survival is linked. The pine bolete is edible. But the slimy cap skin should be removed before cooking. Some people peel it off. Others wipe it with a damp cloth. The flesh is soft and mild. It is good sautéed in butter. In New Zealand, it is common in pine plantations. Especially in the North Island and northern South Island. The preparation is necessary. The reward is culinary. The location is predictable. To find a pine bolete, look under pine trees after rain. They often grow in small groups. Sometimes in rings. The bright yellow pores and the sticky cap are good identifying features. The season is wet. The substrate is acidic. The visibility is high. The forager knows where to look. The pine plantation is quiet. The bolete grows under the trees. Its sticky cap gleams. Its yellow pores are bright. The rain has stopped. The mushroom is fresh. The forager picks it. Peels the slimy cap. Takes it home for dinner. The bolete does not know it is about to be eaten. It just wanted to spread its spores. The intent is reproductive. The outcome is gastronomic. The fungus does not care for opinion. It cares for association. It finds it in the pine. It spreads in the plantation. It fruits in the rain. It waits for the cook. And that seems to be enough.