Craterellus cinereus

Craterellus cinereus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Cantharellales
Family:	Cantharellaceae
Genus:	Craterellus
Species:	C. cinereus
Binomial name
Craterellus cinereus (Pers.) Pers.,1825
Synonyms
Merulius cinereus (Pers.) Pers., 1798 Cantharellus cinereus (Pers.) Fr. 1821 Pseudocraterellus cinereus (Pers.) Kalamees, 1963 Cantharellus hydrolyps J. Schröt., 1888

Craterellus cinereus Mycological characteristics
	Ridges on hymenium
	Cap is infundibuliform
	Hymenium is decurrent
	Stipe is bare
	Spore print is white
	Ecology is mycorrhizal
	Edibility is edible

Craterellus cinereus, commonly known as the black chanterelle^[1] or ashen chanterelle, is a species of Craterellus found growing in coniferous forest in Europe.^[2]

Description

Craterellus cinereus are greyish-black chanterelle mushrooms with thin, dark grey flesh that fades when dry.

Cap: 2–4 cm. Irregular funnel shape/infundibuliform. Irregularly wavy at the edges with an inrolled margin. Stem: 2–4 cm. Smooth to lightly velvety in texture sometimes with a white woolly base. Veins/Ridges: Dark grey irregular forks which are distant and decurrent. Spore print: White. Spores: Broadly elliptical, smooth, non-amyloid. 7.5–10 x 5–6 μm. Taste: Mild. Smell: Indistinct.^[3]

Habitat and distribution

As a mycorrhizal species it grows on soil with leaf litter in broad-leaves woods and is usually found in small groups and may be trooping. It is also rarely found with conifers. It has a widespread distribution but is an uncommon find with mushrooms appearing during autumn.

Edibility

C. cinereus is an edible mushroom with a mild taste. Can be used similarly to black trumpets (Craterellus cornucopioides) but with a milder taste.^[4] Possible lookalikes include Craterellus cornucopioides, Pseudocraterellus undulatus and Faerberia carbonaria, all of which are edible.

References

1. Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms demystified: a comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi (Second ed.). Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-0-89815-169-5.
2. "Cantharellus cinereus in MycoBank".
3. Buczacki, Stefan (2012). Collins fungi guide. London: Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-724290-0. OCLC 793683235.
4. N, gone71. "Ashen chanterelle | Cantharellus cinereus". Gone71° N (in German). Retrieved 2022-07-07.

External links

• Media related to Craterellus cinereus at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Craterellus cinereus at Wikispecies