[1] This mushroom was first described and named as Boletus communis in 1789 by the eminent French botanist Jean Baptiste Francois Pierre Bulliard.

Two years later, in 1791, it was given the specific epithet chrysenteron by the same author, the species name coming from the Ancient Greek words khrysos "gold" and enteron "innards".

When fully expanded, the brownish cap[4] ranges from 4 to 10 cm (1+5⁄8 to 3+7⁄8 in) in diameter with very little substance and thin flesh that turns a blue color when slightly cut or bruised.

[5] The 1 to 2 cm-diameter stems have no ring, are mostly[4] bright yellow and the lower part is covered in coral-red fibrils and has a constant elliptical to fusiform diameter throughout its length of 4 to 10 cm tall.

The species has large, yellow, angular pores,[8] and produces an olive brown spore print.

[13] Young fungi are palatable and suitable for drying, but they become slimy when cooked; mature specimens are rather tasteless and decay quickly.

B. porosporus is also similar to this species, but it is easily separated on account of the whitish under layer and truncate (chopped off) spores.