Craterellus cinereus

Craterellus cinereus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Cantharellales
Family:	Cantharellaceae
Genus:	Craterellus
Species:	C. cinereus
Binomial name
Craterellus cinereus (Pers.) Pers.,1825
Synonyms
Merulius cinereus(Pers.) Pers., 1798 Cantharellus cinereus(Pers.) Fr. 1821 Pseudocraterellus cinereus(Pers.) Kalamees, 1963 Cantharellus hydrolypsJ. Schröt., 1888

Craterellus cinereus Mycological characteristics
	Ridges on hymenium
	Cap is infundibuliform
	Hymenium is decurrent
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is white
	Ecology is mycorrhizal
	Edibility is edible

Craterellus cinereus, commonly known as the black chanterelle ^[1] or ashen chanterelle, is a species of fungus in the genus Craterellus . Found in forests in Europe and North America, it is edible.

Description

Craterellus cinereus are greyish-black chanterelle mushrooms with thin, dark grey flesh that fades when dry. The fruiting body can reach 12 centimetres (4+3⁄4 in) tall. ^[1]

The cap is 1.5–5 cm (1⁄2–2 in) across, ^[1] in an irregular funnel shape or infundibuliform. It is irregularly wavy at the edges with an inrolled margin. It is black when moist, brownish whey dry or in age. ^[1] The stem is 2–8 cm long and up to 1.3 cm thick. ^[1] It is smooth to lightly velvety in texture, sometimes with a white woolly base. The veins/ridges are dark grey, irregular forks which are distant and decurrent.

The spore print is whitish, ^[1] while the spores are broadly elliptical, smooth, non-amyloid, and 7.5–10 x 5–6  μm. The taste is mild and the odour indistinct. ^[2]

Similar species

Possible lookalikes include Craterellus cornucopioides , ^[1] Pseudocraterellus undulatus and Faerberia carbonaria, all of which are edible.

Habitat and distribution

As a mycorrhizal species it grows on soil with leaf litter in broadleaf woods and is found singly or in small groups. ^[1] It is found in coniferous forests in Europe. ^[3] It has a widespread distribution but is uncommon, being found in winter and early spring in western North America. ^[1]

Edibility

C. cinereus is an edible mushroom with a good taste. ^[1] It can be used similarly to black trumpets (C. cornucopioides) but with a milder taste. ^[4]

References

1. Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. pp. 665–66. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
2. Buczacki, Stefan (2012). Collins fungi guide. London: Collins. ISBN   978-0-00-724290-0. OCLC   793683235.
3. "Cantharellus cinereus in MycoBank".
4. N, gone71. "Ashen chanterelle | Cantharellus cinereus". Gone71° N (in German). Retrieved 2022-07-07.

External links

• Media related to Craterellus cinereus at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Craterellus cinereus at Wikispecies