''Cantharellus formosus'', commonly known as the Pacific golden chanterelle, is a

fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

native to the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

region of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. It is a member of the genus '' Cantharellus'' along with other popular edible chanterelles. It was distinguished from '' C. cibarius'' in the 1990s. It is orange to yellow, meaty and funnel-shaped. On the underside of the smooth cap, it has gill-like ridges that run down onto its stipe, which tapers down from the cap. The false gills often have a pinkish hue. It has a mild, sweet odor. It appears solitary to gregarious in

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

ous forests, from July to December. It is a choice

edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effect ...

and Oregon's state mushroom.

Taxonomy

E. J. H. Corner formally described ''C. formosus'' in 1966 from specimens collected on

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

in 1938. Despite this publication, the name ''C. cibarius'' (a European species) continued to be used to refer to golden chanterelles in the

. In 1997, Redhead et al. Corner's specimens, returned to the type locale, and collected new specimens, confirming the identity of ''C. formosus''. DNA analysis has since confirmed the species-level rank of ''C. formosus''.

Description

Fruiting bodies of ''C. formosus'' range from wide,'''' with cap colors varying depending on light levels and weather. In dry weather, the cap is medium orange yellow to light yellow brown, but wet weather may brighten the cap to brilliant to soft orange yellow. In low light conditions, caps may not develop the yellow pigmentation, resulting in salmon to rosy buff colors. The false gills may be yellow, salmon, buff, or even whitish depending on conditions, but are usually paler than the cap. The stem is colored similarly to the cap, and is either equal-width or tapering downwards. The spore print is a yellowish white color.

Similar species

Several other species of chanterelle may be found in western North America: *'' C. californicus'' – large size, associated with oaks in California *'' C. cascadensis'' – bright yellow fading to white in center of cap, may have bulbous base of stem *'' C. cibarius'' var. ''roseocanus'' – brilliant orange-yellow color without pinkish hues, false gills not paler than cap *'' C. subalbidus'' – whitish overall color Additionally, '' Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca'', '' Chroogomphus tomentosus'', and species in the genera '' Craterellus'', '' Gomphus'' (namely '' G. floccosus'' and ''G. kauffmanii''), '' Omphalotus'' (particularly the poisonous '' O. olivascens'' in California), and '' Polyozellus'' may have a somewhat similar appearance to ''C. formosus''.

Distribution and habitat

''Cantharellus formosus'' has been reported from

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and is particularly abundant in the

forests of Washington and

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. It forms a mycorrhizal association with Douglas-fir and western hemlock, and has been shown to be more common in younger (40- to 60-year-old) forests than in old-growth forests. It grows solitary to gregarious, from July to December.

Uses

The mushroom has a mildly sweet odor and a mild taste. It should be brushed clean but not washed before cooking. It can be tossed, stir-fried, and sautéed in butter or oil. Commonly sold in grocery markets and restaurants, it is the most important commercially harvested ''Cantharellus'' species in the Pacific Northwest.

In culture

The species has been designated Oregon's state mushroom due to its economic value and abundance.

References

External links

* * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5033734 formosus Edible fungi Fungi of Canada Fungi of the United States Fungi described in 1966 Fungi without expected TNC conservation status Fungus species