Polyozellus multiplex
(*Group)
North American Flora 9(3): 171. 1910.
Common Name: blue chanterelle
Basionym: Cantharellus multipex Underwood (Protologue)
Synonyms: Cratarellus multiplex (Underwood) Shope
For description see Castellano et al., Voitk et al., & 'California Mushrooms'.
Grows on ground, typcially in clusters. In California only known from the northwest corner of the state in spruce/fir forests.
Edible but mediocre.
This distinctive blue to purplish mushroom has only a superficial realtionship to the chanterelles, such as Craterellus cornucopiodes. Both micro-mophological and molecular evidence firmly places Polyozellus multiplex in the Thelephorales, along with Thelephora, Sarcodon, Hydnellum, and Boletopsis.
*This is a species complex, more research is needed to determine our California taxon. P. multiplex is found in the Eastern U.S. and Canada plus China and Japan. Possible names for our taxon are Polyozellus atrolazulinus and Polyozellus marymargaretae. See Voitk et al.
Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms Demystified. Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA. 959 p.
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)
Desjardin, D.E., Wood, M.G. & Stevens, F.A. (2015). California Mushrooms: The Comprehensive Identification Guide. Timber Press: Portland, OR. 560 p.
Murrill, W.A. (1907). North American Flora: (Agaricales) Polyporaceae-Agaricaceae. 9(3): 133-200.
Rokuya, I. (1953). Polyozellus multiplex and the Family Phylacteriaceae. Mycologia 45(4): 555-561.
Shope, P.F. (1938). Further Notes on Cantharellus multiplex. Mycologia 30(4): 372-374.
Siegel, N. & Schwarz, C. (2024). Mushrooms of Cascadia: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fungi of the Pacific Northwest. Backcountry Press: Keeland, CA. 576 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.
Underwood, L.M. (1899). A new Cantharellus from Maine. Bull. Torrey bot. Club 26(5): 254-255. (Protologue)
Voitk, A., Saar, I., Trudell, S., Spirin, V., Beug, M. & Kõljalg, U. (2017). Polyozellus multiplex (Thelephorales) is a species complex containing four new species. Mycologia 109(6): 975-992. (PDF)
