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Chanterelles

Smooth Chanterelle

The smooth chanterelle (Cantharellus lateritius) is just one of many kinds of chanterelles you can find in Missouri.
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Cantharellaceae (various members of family)
Family: 
Cantharellaceae
Description: 

Chanterelles are funnel- or trumpet-shaped and have wavy cap edges. Most are bright orange or yellow, although one, the black trumpet, is brownish black. Fresh chanterelles have a pleasant, fruity fragrance. To make sure you have a chanterelle, check the underside of the cap. Some species of chanterelles are nearly smooth underneath, while others have a network of wrinkles or gill-like ridges running down the stem. The ridges have many forks and crossveins and are always blunt-edged. (True gills, such as those found on the poisonous but similar jack-o’-lantern mushroom, are sharp-edged and knifelike.)

Size: 
Height: 1–6 inches; width: ½–6 inches.
Habitat and conservation: 
Chanterelles can be found in the same habitat that favors morels: on the ground in hardwood forests. They will always be found on the ground in grass or leaf litter, never on decaying wood or trees (which can be buried), and while they may be found singly, they grow more commonly in scattered groups. All mushrooms favor moist conditions and are less numerous in dry years.
Distribution in Missouri: 
Statewide, particularly in moist woodlands and in river bottoms.
Status: 
Common in suitable habitats.
Life cycle: 
These organisms spend most of the time as a network of fungal cells (mycelium) in the soil, associated symbiotically with tree roots. When ready to reproduce, the mycelium develops mushrooms, which produce spores, which create new mycelia elsewhere. The fruiting season of chanterelles begins in May and continues through October. Early fall is a good time to search because heavy undergrowth and insect pests are on the decline, and fallen leaves haven’t hidden them yet.
Human connections: 
Chanterelles are a great favorite of European chefs and are becoming more popular in the United States. The market for them is growing. Chanterelles are tough and need long, slow cooking, but when properly prepared their flavor is excellent. Recipes for them abound.
Ecosystem connections: 
A variety of organisms, from tiny insects to mammals, eat chanterelles. The fungus that gives rise to the mushroom forms mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationships with roots of trees, helping them to absorb water and nutrients while the trees provide nourishment to the fungus.

Related Information

  • Chanterelle Recipes

    Freshly picked chanterelles are the best to eat and can be used in many recipes.

  • Jack-o’-Lantern

    Jack-o’-lanterns are bright orange to yellowish orange, with sharp-edged gills that descend the stalk. They grow in clusters, at the base of stumps, and from buried roots of oak and other deciduous wood.

  • Golden Chanterelle (Girolle)

    Golden chanterelles have a bright orange to yellow cap with wavy margins; beneath, they're orange-yellow, with forked ridges (not true gills) descending the stalk. They grow in soil.

  • Smooth Chanterelle

    The smooth chanterelle has a bright orange to yellow cap, wavy margins, and is smooth on the underside. It grows singly or in groups of up to very many in the soil.

  • Black Trumpet (Horn of Plenty; Black Chanterelle; Trumpet of the Dead)

    The black trumpet is dark brown to black, vase- or trumpet-shaped, with a wavy margin and no gills. It grows in groups of few to many on rocky, mossy hillsides in deciduous woods.

External Links

  • Missouri Mycological Society

    The Missouri Mycological Society (MOMS) is an organization of individuals and families dedicated to the study and enjoyment of mushrooms.

Other Content You May Like

  • Black Trumpet (Horn of Plenty; Black Chanterelle; Trumpet of the Dead)

    The black trumpet is dark brown to black, vase- or trumpet-shaped, with a wavy margin and no gills. It grows in groups of few to many on rocky, mossy hillsides in deciduous woods.

  • Smooth Chanterelle

    The smooth chanterelle has a bright orange to yellow cap, wavy margins, and is smooth on the underside. It grows singly or in groups of up to very many in the soil.

  • Golden Chanterelle (Girolle)

    Golden chanterelles have a bright orange to yellow cap with wavy margins; beneath, they're orange-yellow, with forked ridges (not true gills) descending the stalk. They grow in soil.

  • Cinnabar Chanterelle

    The cinnabar chanterelle is a small, reddish orange, vase-shaped mushroom with forked ridges on the underside that descend the stalk. It grows in the soil.

  • Chanterelle Garnish for Grilled Meats

    Add to the savor of a freshly grilled steak or chop—garnish it with fresh chanterelle mushrooms!

  • Deep Fried Chanterelles

    Enhance the experience of fresh chanterelle mushrooms by frying them a beautiful golden brown!

  • Chanterelle Omelet

    What's better than an omelet for breakfast? One made with fresh chanterelles!

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