This member of the Xerocomellus genus of boletes features a brown and tomentose cap of small to medium size that soon develops a cracked pattern on the cap revealing underlying tissue that ranges from whitish to yellowish to pinkish. Pinkish tones are absent towards the margin, if present at all. The caps may reach 10cm with stalks up to 7cm long and 2.5cm wide. The stalks may be weakly striate and are red at the base and yellow apically. The pore surface is yellow and stains blue almost instantly when touched. The fast bluing reaction, along with lack of stipe bluing and absence of any pink tones towards the margin serve to separate it from similar species such as X. diffractus or X. rainisiae. The species is fairly common in the fall and may occur earlier. It is a decent edible that is found mainly under conifers but also in mixed species forests.