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chanterelle
chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius)
Photo © Hank Guarisco
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
Chanterelles are mainly yellow to orange. Their cap is flat or slightly depressed in the center and may reach one to three inches wide at maturity. The cap has false gills, which are folds that often resemble the true gills of some other mushrooms. The false gills continue part of the way down the stem, which true gills do not. It is difficult to tell where the cap ends, and the stem begins. The stem grades in color from yellow at the top to white or nearly white at the bottom. Identification and classification of species in this group of mushrooms is undergoing revisions due to DNA analysis.
BEHAVIORS
Chanterelles are found in hardwood forests especially around oak trees. The fruiting bodies appear from late May through September, especially after significant rainfall.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Cantharellales
Family: Cantharellaceae
Illinois Status: common, native
