bolete

227x227px|The porcini, Boletus edulis, showing the solid looking, spongy bottom surface, which is the defining characteristic of boletes.|alt=A bolete, Boletus edulis, showing the solid looking, spongy bottom surface, which is the defining characteristic of boletes.|thumb

A bolete is a type of mushroom, or fungal fruiting body. It can be identified thanks to a unique cap. On the underside of the cap there is usually a spongy surface with pores, instead of the gills typical of mushrooms. A similar pore surface is found in polypores, but these species generally have a different physical structure from boletes, and have different microscopic characteristics than boletes. Many polypores have much firmer, often woody, flesh.