Cantharellus formosus
Monogr. Cantharelloid Fungi: 45. 1966.
Common Name: chanterelle
Misapplied name: Cantharellus cibarius
For descriptions see Castellano et al., Corner, and Redhead et al. & 'California Mushrooms'.
Solitary to gregarious, sometimes in small clusters, in moss and duff under conifers (Douglas fir, western hemlock, Sitka spruce); common, fruiting from early fall through mid-winter from Marin Co. northward on the coast.
Edible and excellent.
Cantharellus formosus is a medium-sized chanterelle that is distinguished by a yellowish orange to salmon-colored cap that develops grayish brown tones in age, decurrent gill folds that are often tinged pink, a slender stipe, pleasant fruity odor, and habit with conifers, especially Sitka spruce and Douglas fir along our northern coast. It is the most important commercially collected chanterelle in the Pacific Northwest.
Other chanterelles found in California include Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus roseocanus, and Cantharellus subalbidus. C. californicus, common in oak woodlands, is distinguished its evenly yellow coloration, chunky stature, and large size; C. roseocanus is associated with conifers (Sitka spruce, Bishop pine) and has bright orangish yellow gill folds and a cap margin that often has a pink bloom; C. subalbidus is whiteish to cream overall and associated with Douglas fir, pine, and madrone. Omphalotus olivascens, a toxic species, may be confused with chanterelles, but it has well-developed, thin, plate-like gills, olive tones to cap and gills, grows in clusters on wood, and is bioluminescent.
Bigelow, H.E. (1978). The Cantharelloid Fungi of New England and Adjacent Areas. Mycologia 70(4): 707-756.
Castellano, M.A., Smith, J.E., O'Dell, T., Cázares, E. & Nugent, S. (1999). Handbook to Strategy 1 Fungal Species in the Northwest Forest Plan. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: Portland, OR. 195 p. (PDF)
Corner, E.J.H. (1966). A Monograph of Cantharelloid Fungi. Oxford University Press: London, England. 255 p. (Protologue)
Desjardin, D.E., Wood, M.G. & Stevens, F.A. (2015). California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide. Timber Press: Portland, OR. 560 p.
Pegler, D.N., Roberts, P.J. & Spooner, B.M. (1997). British Chanterelles and Tooth Fungi. Royal Botanic Gardens: Kew, England. 114 p.
Redhead, S.A., Norvell, L. & Danell, E. (1997). Cantharellus formosus and the pacific golden chanterelle harvest in western North America. Mycotaxon 65: 285-322. (PDF)
Siegel, N. & Schwarz, C. (2016). Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 601 p.
Smith, A.H. (1949). Mushrooms in their Natural Habitats. Sawyer's Inc: Portland, OR. 626 p. (PDF)
Smith, A.H. & Morse, E.E. (1947). The genus Cantharellus in the western United States. Mycologia 39(5): 497-534.
Watling, R. & Turnbull, E. (1998). British Fungus Flora: Agarics and Boleti. Vol 8. Cantharellaceae, Gomphaceae, and Amyloid-Spored and Xeruloid Members of Tricholomataceae (excl. Mycena). Royal Botanic Garden: Edinburgh, Scotland. 189 p.
