Cantharellaceae.
Fungi > Division Basidiomycota > Class Agaricomycetes > Order Cantharellales.
Cantharellaceae is one of the 7 families in the Order.
Cantharellus and Craterellus are widespread and probably the best known genera.
They are found on the ground or in leaf litter, scattered or in groups.
The fleshy fruit bodies can be:
- mushroom-like with a cap and stalk with the spore bearing surface (hymenium) under the cap or
- funnel-shaped with the hynmenium on the outside of the funnel.
The hymenium may be smooth, veined, slightly wrinkled or gill-like with gradations between all these.
The ‘gills’ are false gills which are just thick, forked folds in the surface of the hymeniium.
They cannot be separated from the cap without causing damage whereas true gills can.
The stem may be central or to the side.
It is solid in the chanterelles and hollow in the trumpets.
Identifying a mushroom as a chanterelle or trumpet is usually easy although some are similar.
Distinguishing the species is more difficult especially as to the shade of yellow and orange.
Other genera are Goossensia, Parastereopsis, Pseudocraterellus and Pterygellus.
Chanterelle is a generic name for funnel-shaped fungi with thick orange, yellow or white flesh.
Genera include Cantharellus and Craterellus.
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Cantharellus.
Chanterelles are usually solitary or in small groups and always near trees.
Fruit bodies are initially convex with an inrolled edge then flatten slightly.
The cap is smooth and up to 15 cm across.
They are a uniform light to orange-yellow due to their carotene content.
The flesh is yellow or white.
The fruit body lasts 2 to 3 weeks.
The spore bearing layer is the same colour as the cap and runs down onto the stem.
It consists of false gills – thick folds or ridges that fork or branch and may be wavy.
The layer does not easily separate from the cap.
The spore print is yellow.
The solid stem is up to 10 cm high.
It’s length is similar to the width of the cap and the same colour or slightly paler.
It may taper from top to bottom and (below the hymenium) is smooth with no ring.
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Craterellus.
The Trumpets or Black Trumpets have fruit bodies that are funnel shaped.
The depth of the funnel is variable ranging from a small depression to a deep hole.
The cap colour varies and can be black, brown or a bright orange.
The margin may become wavy or irregular with age.
The hymenium may be smooth, slightly wrinkled or have false, forked gills.
It is brown, yellow or orange and runs down onto the stem.
The brown or orange stem is hollow and the surface is smooth.
The spore print is cream to salmon.
Classification of these is still in progress.
J.F.
