SOME SPECIES OF

CANTHARELLUS & CRATERELLUS

OF THE GULF COASTAL REGION

The species "Chanterelles" along the Gulf Coastal region are numerous because of our unsual mild and moist climate and large areas of differing forests, drainage and soil types. Our fruiting season not only permits northern temperate fungi, but also subtropical and tropical fungi, making our region a "fungal melting pot". The chanterelles listed below are all excellent to choice edibles and several of the larger species are collected commercially (much to the chagrin of the amateur collector).

Below is a brief description of species we have found. Not all names are possibly yet set in stone. Some "species" may not yet even be named correctly or named at all...Ah, the secrets DNA has yet to tell...

To see a photograph of a particular species, click on it's name.

NOTE: All photographs are copyrighted (2001) by the printed authors of each image and any use whatsoever, except for personal private use is prohibited by said authors. NOTE: The use of these photographs in idntifying any of these fungi for gastrotomical use is not intended, that should be done by a compitent professional mycologist for any fungi ("mushrooms") picked in a natual habitat for consumption by an individual. Again these photographs are not intended to be used for that purpose, and anyone using them for such use is doing so at their own risk.

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Cantharellus appalachensis Petersen - Small with the cap 0.4-2" broad, margin curved in when young, then elevated in maturity, a dull brown in color. The "gills" are yellowish to orangish and not becoming grayish. The stipe is 0.6-2 " long, 0.1-0.25" thick, with the color a dull brown, like the cap.

Solitary, gregarious, or subcespitose on soil and humus in mixed hardwoods and conifers, New England south to North Carolina. A collection from Texas was made during the NAMA 2000 foray held in Beaumont, TX

Cantharellus cibarius Fries :Fries - Large, with a cap size approximately 2 to 6" wide, depressed initially, but in maturity becoming convex to plane. Stalk cylindric and tapering towards base, approximately 1/4 to ½" in diameter and ½ to 5" in length. All parts and stages of the cap and stalk are some shade of bright yellow ("Egg yolk yellow", "Golden yellow", etc.). The flesh is usually white. The "gills" are distinct, blunt, forked with low crossveins radiating from them ("like a river with tributaries"), and reach the edge of the cap. Usually this mushroom has the odor of "apricots". Growing singly but in clusters with a single cap per stalk in groupings in bottomland oak, hardwood and for one variant, also under pine. Fruits from (Late May) June to August (Early September). (Note: It is unfortunately collected commercially, making it harder to find in some popular areas of collecting.)

Cantharellus cibarius var. albiceps - As above, but the stalk of this mushroom is white.

Cantharellus cibarius F. var. amethysteus Quelet - With this variant, the cap is covered with small upward turned scales that are a dark brown to purplish brown. In young material, the cap is evenly colored in this manner, but in maturity as the cap expands, the cap is a mosaic of yellow and purplish brown.

Cantharellus cinnabarinus Schweinitz - Small with a cap size 3/8" to 2-1/2", inrolled at first, becoming plane at maturity. Stalk slender 3/4" to 2-3/8" long, 3/8" to 2-3/8" long. The caps are "flamingo pink to vermilion or a bright reddish orange" that fades in age. The stalk is the same color. The gills are blunt, and run down the stalk and are concolorous with the cap, forked and crossveined, and reach the edge of the cap. Found in groupings in mixed pine and hardwood, usually on mid-slope forests with magnolia. Fruits from (May) June to August (September).

Cantharellus confluens (Berkeley & Curtis) Peterson - Cap "yellow" to "yellow orange", 1 to 5" in diameter, fleshy, with sometimes having two or more caps per fruiting body where the stalks are joined at the base, smooth and either funnel-shaped or perforated. Fruits during the summer in scattered to gregarious groupings in hardwoods. Quite common on the Florida peninsula on hillocks arising from the water.

Craterellus fallax Smith - Fruiting body "Trumpet" shaped, pale to dark gray, finely scaly. Cap diameter ¾"-2(6)" wide. Stalk height 2"- 4", 3/4"- 2" thick. Fertile surface smooth to irregularly veined, "pale-brown to "gray", with a whitish bloom when young, soon developing a flush of "salmon-pink" with age descending down the stalk. This salmon color is a result of the mature spores that are salmon color in deposit. This feature separates this species from Cr. cornucopioides that has white spores. Fruiting season is from Jute to early September. Found on midslope forests or mixed pine/hardwoods, as single specimens or in very small groupings.

Cantharellus ignicolor Persoon - Cap 3/8" to 2" diameter, wide, convex with an incurved margin and sunken center, becoming flat or with a decurved to wavy margin. Smooth to somewhat rough, orange to orange-yellow. Flesh thin, dull orange. Stalk 3/4"to 2-3/8" long, 1/16" to 5/8" wide, slightly enlarged at base, becoming hollow in age. Yellow to orange. Fertile surface, narrow ridges, blunt-edged, and forked, with crossveins, distant, descending the stalk. Color "Orange-yellow", "wine-buff", or "brownish". Fruiting season June to August. Found under mixed pine/hardwood.

Cantharellus lateritius (Berkeley)Sing. (formerly known as Craterellus cantharellus) - Cap 1" to 4" diameter, flat or with a depressed center, with inrolled margins, with the edges becoming wavy. Color "yellow" to "orange-yellow". Stalk 1" to 4" long, 3/4"to 1" wide, thick, sometimes enlarged at the end, often curved, off center, bright orange-yellow. Fertile surface, shallowly ridged, smooth toward the edge of the cap, sometimes almost smooth, descending down the stipe. Overall this mushroom has a "funnel" shape. Numerous along the coast in bottomland hardwoods, live oak, scattered or in scattered groupings. Fruits late May to late August (early September). Is a tropical to subtropical species. (Note: To show how plentiful this species can be, under one live oak the author of this web page filled 2-1/2 paper grocery bags full of this species. Like other large chanterelles, it is unfortunately collected commercially, making it harder to find in some popular areas of collecting.)

Cantharellus minor Peck - Quite small with a cap size of 1/3" to 3/4" diameter, cap has a depressed center with inrolled margins at first, becoming flat or sunken, finally funnel-shaped with an arched, wavy margin. Bright yellow to dull yellow in age under dry conditions. Stipe 5/8" to 2" long, 1/8"-3/8" thick, same color as cap unless cap has faded. Flesh at first solid, becoming hollow. Gills very narrow, with blunt edges, crossveined and forked and reach the edge of the cap. Found in mixed hardwood/pine or bottomland hardwoods. Fruits from May to September.

Craterellus odoratus (Schweinitz:Fries)Fries - Fruiting bodies ("trumpet" shaped) are simple or branched, 1" to 3-3/4" wide, and 1" to 2-1/2" high, with deflexed and often lobed or irregular margins that arise in clusters out of a common base. The caps are a "bright orange". In age the "trumpets" may be completely folded and intergrown. The stipes are 1" to 1-1/2" long, 1" to 2-3/4" wide and concolorous with the cap. The fertile surface is "ochraceoous orange" or with a "reddish tinge". Although the individual caps may be only several inches in diameter, the clusters are usually much larger than this (up to 8-10 inches across) which makes quite an impressive sight in the forest. Fruits in April in Florida to August elsewhere along the Gulf Coast. Found in mid-slope hardwoods.

Craterellus sinuosis Fries - The cap 0.6-2 " wide, flat, with the center depressed, then funnel-like, becoming wavy and curled and twisted, often off-center. The surface is finely cotten-like and weathers smooth. The cap's inner material is often cotten-like to scaly in the center. The cap's color is a dark sooty color, drying and ageing paler grayish bistre or grayish brown, often some yellowish. The stem 2-2.4 " long and 0.1-0.3 " wide, cylindric, solid with firm rind and cottony-slighly cotteny core, becoming hollow, smooth, colored gray, yellowish gray or yellowish at the apex. "Gill" surface smooth to roughened, colored gray or cinerous, then ochraceous or drab yellowish. Smell none.

On the ground in mixed diciduose woods, often in troops or closely grouped together. Common in north woods but rare along the Gulf Coast.

Cantharellus tabernensis Feibelman & Cibula - Caps .2"- 1.75" wide, incurved to becoming flat in age. Light to moderate orange-yellow "dull orange-yellow" to "yellowish-brown", with a darker center. Gill surface waxy, thin, gills blunt, extending to the margin, forked toward the margin, moderate-orange-yellow when young becoming a moderate to brilliant yellow or strong yellow in age. Stipe .5" to 4.5" long, 0.07"- 0.28" thick, hollow, moderate yellow, almost same color as the gill surface. Odor fragrant, fruity, of apricot. Found in well-drained mixed pine and hardwoods, usually near pine. The type location is under well-drained upland pine at the Stennis Space Center. The species name, tabernensis is from the Latin, referring to an end of the workday establishment located nearby at the recreation area of the type location. This chanterelle has been also found in boggy edges next to swamp under isolated groupings of pine in mixed hardwoods in Honey Island Swamp, LA. Fruits from June to early September.

Craterellus tubaeformis Fries - Cap 3/8"- 3" wide, convex, becoming flat, with a decurved, inrolled margin; becoming arched or wavy; smooth to wrinkled or rough to slightly scaly in age. Color "dark yellow-brown" to "dark brown", with gray radial streaks, fading with age. Stalk 1" to 2" long, 1/8" to 3/8" thick, cylindrical to compressed, smooth to furrowed, solid becoming hollow in age. Color "yellow", "yellow-orange" or to "grayish-orange".. "gill" surface narrow, thick-edged ridges, with forks and crossveins, distant from each other, "yellowish to gray-violet or brownish, descending the stalk. Fruits June to August and is found in low wet mossy areas usually near the base of pines. Recent studies by Feibelman et al demonstrate this species to be a true Craterellus in contrast to other recent taxonomic studies.

Cantharellus umbonatus (Fries) Singer (Formerly known as Cantharellula umbonata (Grem. Ex. Fr.)Sing.) - Cap ¾-1.6 ", funnel-shaped at maturity, with a slight central umbo or "pimple". The color of the cap is brownish gray to violaceous gray. It is dry, and the surface having a frost-like/flour-like to cotteny-like look. It's margin is often wavy. The caps flesh stains reddish where cut. "Gills" run down the stipe, and are thickish, narrow, and crowded. The stipe is 1.2-3.1" x 0.2-0.3", + equal, pallid to grayish, silky. The spore deposit is white.

Often common under pines among pine straw. In the north, Smith reports it on beds of hair-capped moss. Reported as edible but too small to be of interest.