''Cantharellus subalbidus'', the white 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 western

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 is similar in appearance to other chanterelles except for its cream to white color and orange bruising.

Description

The mushroom is white to cream in color, later darkening to yellow-orange. The

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

is wide, flat to depressed, becoming infundibuliform (vaselike) with age. The stalk is tall and 1–5 cm wide, tapered, with yellow-brown spots due to bruising and age. The spores are white, elliptical, and smooth.

Similar species

Several other species of chanterelle may be found in western North America: *'' C. californicus'' *'' C. cascadensis'' *'' C. cibarius'' var. ''roseocanus'' *'' C. formosus'' Additionally, '' Leucopaxillus albissimus'', '' Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca'', '' Chroogomphus tomentosus'', and species in the genera '' Craterellus'', '' Gomphus'', '' Omphalotus'', and '' Polyozellus'' may have a somewhat similar appearance to ''C. subalbidus''.

Distribution and habitat

''C. subalbidus'' is native to

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 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

. In the latter, it can be found from August to October. The fungus has been found to be more common in

old-growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

s than in younger forests.

Ecology

''Cantharellus subalbidus'' may form a

mycorrhiza A mycorrhiza (; , mycorrhiza, or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, the plant root system and its surroundings. Mycorrhizae play ...

l association with species of

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

, hemlock,

Douglas-fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Or ...

, and Pacific madrone.

Uses

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 ...

, it can be prepared by being sautéed or cutting into chunks and baking at for 10 minutes.

References

External links

* * subalbidus Fungi of Canada Fungi of the United States Edible fungi Pacific Northwest cuisine Fungi described in 1947 Fungi without expected TNC conservation status Fungi of California Fungus species {{Agaricomycetes-stub