Golden Chanterelles

Until recently, yellow to yellowish-orange chanterelles in North American hardwood forests were all treated as a single, easily identified species, Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius). Multiple DNA studies from 1998 to present have shown that the North American chanterelles are a group of closely related species now known as the Cantharellus cibarius group or Cantharellus cibarius complex. The type species of the group, Cantharellus cibarius, is restricted to Europe and does not occur in North America. Many new North American species have been described, one occurring across the northen United States, four only west of the Rocky Mountains, three in the southeast, and at least and at least four in the Midwest. More species will almost certainly be described in the coming years. Some mycologists estimate there may be as many as 50 Cantharellus species in North America. Others think that estimate is “somewhat too optimistic.”

As new Cantharellus species are described, the informal grouping “Cantharellus cibarius complex” has fallen into disuse. Sightings and photos on this page will eventually be moved to a new species page or to a new Cantharellus genus page.

Golden Chanterelle is a small to medium-large edible mushroom with a long growing season. It grows on the ground and is usually solitary.

The stalk is ¾″ to 4″ long, ¼″ to 1¼″ thick, solid, fleshy, and dry. It is the same color as the cap but paler. It may taper to the base or be equal in width for most of its length. Sometimes it is enlarged at the base. There is no cup-like covering (volva) at the base of the stalk, and there are no remnants of a universal veil clinging to the stalk. When growing in groups the stalks are separate.

The cap is 1¼″ to 6″ in diameter and dry, not slimy or sticky to the touch. It is broadly convex at first, becoming flat or depressed to vase-shaped with age. It is usually smooth, sometimes cracked. It is orange, yellow, or bright yellowish-orange. The margin is curved under when young, becoming lobed or wavy with age.

The flesh is whitish except beneath the skin of the cap, where it is tinged yellow to orange.

Cantharellales do not have true gills. The spore-bearing surface on the underside of the cap is deeply wrinkled, ridged, or veined, appearing gill-like. Unlike true gills, they are firm and they cannot be individually detached. They are closely spaced to well-spaced and the same color as the cap though paler. They are forked near the end (toward the margin of the cap) into two branches. They are shallow and the edges are thick and blunt, appearing as if “melted”. They extend down along the stalk (decurrent).

The spore print is usually creamy or yellow, sometimes pinkish.

Jack-o’-Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus illudens) is usually found in groups. The stalks of grouped mushrooms are connected at the base. The gills are not forked. They are deep and the edges are sharp, like the edge of a knife. It is poisonous.

Woodlands

Spring to fall

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Common and widespread

Family
Traditionally, the genus Cantharellus was placed in the family Cantharellaceae. A recent molecular DNA study (Buyck et al., 2010) found of some Cantharellus species found that they were closely “clustered” with the genus Pseudohydnum in the family Hydnaceae. A later study of a larger number of Cantharellus species (Geml et al., 2014) found that Cantharellus was consistently nested within the Hydnaceae, and that it formed a monophyletic clade with other members of the family. Subsequent studies corroborated these findings. Most sources now place Cantharellus in the family Hydnaceae, including Index Fungorum, Mycobank, GBIF, and Mushroom Observer. MycoPortal, NCBI, and NatureServe continue to place Cantharellus in the family Cantharellaceae.

Cadillacs of the woods

August 2017

Newfoundland Chanterelle (Cantharellus enelensis)

Mushroom

Cap

Gills

Chantarelle Mushrooms
Andree Reno Sanborn

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Mike Kempenich

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MiWilderness

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MiWilderness

Luciearl
August 2024

Location: Cass County

Location: St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park

First flush.  Abundant a few days after the first major rain of the summer.

Location: Inverness County NS

Cadillacs of the woods

Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County

Location: Mankato

Location: Mankato

Location: Hennepin County, MN

Location: State Forest in Hubbard County; Regional Park in Dakota County

season appeared to be early to prime in Hubbard County on the 18th . I was able to pick many pounds in just a couple of hours. They were well past prime and full of bugs by July 30th in Dakota County. Few were worth picking, but they had been wide-spread.