''Cantharellus cinnabarinus'', the red 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 eastern

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 chanterelles. Its distinctive red color is imparted by the

carotenoid Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, corn, tomatoes, cana ...

canthaxanthin. It is considered edible and good, fruiting in association with

hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

trees in the summer and fall.

Etymology

It is named after

cinnabar Cinnabar (; ), or cinnabarite (), also known as ''mercurblende'' is the bright scarlet to brick-red form of Mercury sulfide, mercury(II) sulfide (HgS). It is the most common source ore for refining mercury (element), elemental mercury and is t ...

, which has a similar red color.

Description

''Cantharellus cinnabarinus'' is recognized by its distinctive flamingo-pink to bright orange and red colors (imparted by the carotenoid canthaxanthin) and the presence of false gills underneath the cap. It resembles some other species of '' Cantharellus'', but tends to be more small and slender.

Distribution and habitat

Widely distributed in Eastern Northern America, it can be found from June to October, mostly on the ground in broadleaf and mixed broadleaf/

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 ...

forests. It usually occurs scattered or in small groups. It forms

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 associations with forest trees and shows preference for

acidic soil Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the nega ...

References

External links

* cinnabarinus Fungi described in 1832 Fungi of North America Edible fungi Taxa named by Lewis David de Schweinitz Fungus species {{Agaricomycetes-stub