Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Cantharellus formosus

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Kingdom
  
Fungi

Family
  
Scientific name
  
Cantharellus formosus

Rank
  
Species

Class
  
Agaricomycetes

Genus
  
Cantharellus

Phylum
  
Basidiomycota

Cantharellus formosus Cantharellus formosus MushroomExpertCom

Similar
  
Cantharellus, Cantharellus subalbidus, Cantharellus cascadensis, Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus roseocanus

Cantharellus formosus fungi kingdom


Cantharellus formosus, commonly known as the pacific golden chanterelle, is a fungus native to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is a member of the genus Cantharellus along with other popular edible chanterelles. It was distinguished from the similar C. cibarius of Europe in the 1990s. It is orange to yellow, meaty and funnel-shaped. On the underside of the smooth cap, it has gill-like ridges that run down onto its stipe, which tapers down seamlessly from the cap. The false gills often have a pinkish hue. It has a mild, sweet odor. It is solitary to gregarious in coniferous forests, fruiting from July to December.

Contents

Cantharellus formosus California Fungi Cantharellus formosus

The pacific golden chanterelle is the most important commercially harvested Cantharellus species in the Pacific Northwest. This chanterelle has been designated Oregon's state mushroom, due to its economic value and abundance.

Cantharellus formosus httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Description

Cantharellus formosus Cantharellus formosus Corner

Fruiting bodies of C. formosus range from 2–14 cm (0.79–5.51 in) wide, with cap colors varying depending on light levels and weather. In dry weather, the cap is medium orange yellow to light yellow brown, but wet weather may brighten the cap to brilliant to soft orange yellow. In low light conditions, caps may not develop the yellow pigmentation, resulting in salmon to rosy buff colors. The false gills may be yellow, salmon, buff, or even whitish depending on conditions, but are usually paler than the cap. The stem is colored similarly to the cap, and is either equal-width or tapering downwards. The spore print is a yellowish white color.

Taxonomy

Cantharellus formosus California Fungi Cantharellus formosus

E. J. H. Corner formally described C. formosus in 1966 from specimens collected on Vancouver Island in 1938. Despite this publication, the name C. cibarius continued to be used to refer to golden chanterelles in the Pacific Northwest. In 1997, Redhead et al. re-examined Corner's specimens, returned to the type locale, and collected new specimens, confirming the identity of C. formosus. DNA analysis has since confirmed the species-level rank of C. formosus.

Distribution

Cantharellus formosus Cantharellus formosus Corner

C. formosus has been reported from British Columbia to California, and is particularly abundant in the conifer forests of Washington and Oregon. It forms a mycorrhizal association with Douglas-fir and western hemlock, and has been shown to be more common in younger (40- to 60-year-old) forests than in old-growth forests.

Similar species

Several other species of chanterelle may be found in western North America:

  • C. californicus — large size, associated with oaks in California
  • C. cascadensis — bright yellow fading to white in center of cap, may have bulbous base of stem
  • C. cibarius var. roseocanus — brilliant orange-yellow color without pinkish hues, false gills not paler than cap
  • C. subalbidus — whitish overall color
  • Additionally, Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, Chroogomphus tomentosus, and species in the genera Craterellus, Gomphus, Omphalotus, and Polyozellus may have a somewhat similar appearance to C. formosus.

    References

    Cantharellus formosus Wikipedia


    Similar Topics