Image © Joey Spatafora
| Morphology: Although the common name of Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca is the False Chanterelle, in reality it is difficult to confuse with Cantharellus cibarius, the Chanterelle. In contrast to the shallow, blunt, and veined "false" gills of C. cibarius, H. aurantiaca has "true" blade-like gills. It is truly the bright, deep orange color of these close, dichotomously forking gills that sets H. aurantiaca apart from the rest. The cap is usually dark orange to some shade of brown and in young specimens the margin is at first strongly inrolled. Along with the vibrant gills, this provides a very valuable field character. The cap changes to broad or convex, even becoming plane or depressed in maturity. The cap-colored stalk is central to off-center and is often curved. The spore print color ranges from white to creamy, with spores that are smooth and elliptical. When treated with an iodine solution called Melzer's reagent, some of the spores have a dextrinoid (reddish-brown) reaction, while others do not. Ecology: The suite of H. aurantiaca featured in the above photograph actually inhabited wood at the base of a conifer stump. Although its primary substrate is rotting wood, it can also inhabit humus. These specimens were in a tuft, but H. aurantiaca can also be found solitary, scattered, or in groups. Unlike C. cibarius, which is a prized edible, H. aurantiaca may be mildly poisonous. Thus, care must be taken by those who gather Chanterelles for eating. References: Arora, D. 1986. Mushrooms Demystified, 2nd edition. Ten Speed Press, Berkley, CA. |
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