Fungus Fact Friday

Tagged: trumpet

mushrooms with a trumpet morphology

#117: Craterellus cornucopioides species group, the Horn of Plenty 1

Fungus Fact

#117: Craterellus cornucopioides species group, the Horn of Plenty

If Black Friday needed to be symbolized by a mushroom, I would suggest the Craterellus cornucopioides species group. Their common and scientific names bring to mind Thanksgiving, they are black in color, they are prized edibles but are rather difficult to find, and they are very thin-fleshed, so you need to find a lot of them to make a good meal.  I love these little mushrooms.  Their flavor is mild but unique, making them a great compliment to various dishes.  These mushrooms go by a variety of common names: “Black Trumpets,” “Black Chanterelles,” “Horn of Plenty,” and “la trompette de la mort” (literally “Trumpet of Death”) in French.  The French name must be based on the mushroom’s dark color, since I am not aware of anyone having died after consuming the Horn of plenty.  I usually just call them “Black Chanterelles,” but I will use the name “Horn of Plenty”...

#029: Mushroom Morphology: Chanterelles and Trumpets 3

Fungus Fact

#029: Mushroom Morphology: Chanterelles and Trumpets

This morphological group of mushrooms is defined by the presence of blunt ridges rather than true gills. These ridges can vary from well-developed, gill-like structures to small wrinkles on a nearly smooth hymenium (spore-bearing surface).  Another defining feature of the chanterelles and trumpets is that the hymenium is always decurrent.  This means that the ridges run down the stipe/stem, often going all the way to the ground.  Chanterelles usually have a pileus (cap) that is flat to depressed in the center.  The mushroom that defines this morphology is Cantharellus cibarius, commonly known as “The Golden Chanterelle,” or simply “The Chanterelle.”   Trumpets, which are a subset of chanterelles, usually have a nearly smooth hymenium and are distinguished by an extremely depressed pileus, which results in the trumpet/vase/funnel shape of the fruiting bodies.  This morphology is best illustrated by Craterellus cornucopioides and its almost indistinguishable American relative Craterellus fallax.  Commonly known as...