About this fungus
Red Chanterelle is a fungus in the Cantharellaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A small, slender eastern North American chanterelle, coloured pink-red to cinnabar-orange from cap to stem.
What to check
Look beneath the cap for blunt, forked and cross-veined folds that run down the stem. They are part of the mushroom's flesh, not separate blade-like true gills. There is no ring or volva.
Lookalikes
Other red chanterelles can be inseparable without regional and microscopic evidence. Waxcaps and orange gilled mushrooms have true blade-like gills. Jack-o'-lantern mushrooms are usually larger, clustered on buried wood and have sharp true gills.
Habitat and range
Mycorrhizal with hardwood trees in eastern North America, fruiting on woodland soil in summer and autumn. Similar red chanterelles elsewhere should not automatically receive this name.
Food safety
Choice edible.
Use this profile to learn what to examine and compare, not as proof that a mushroom is safe to eat. Check the whole specimen and every important lookalike before reaching an identification.
Photographs
Hamilton / CC BY-SA 3.0