''Cantharellus enelensis'' is one of several species of

chanterelle Chanterelle is the common name of several species of fungi in the genera '' Cantharellus'', '' Craterellus'', '' Gomphus'', and ''Polyozellus''. They are among the most popular of wild edible mushrooms. They are orange, yellow or white, meaty a ...

native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. It is a new member of the '' C. cibarius'' complex and wasn't discovered until 2017. Chanterelles identified with

DNA sequencing DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

as ''C. enelensis'' have been found in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

but there is evidence to suggest it is widespread in North American conifer forests. It has been temporarily categorized as having a

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...

of 'least concern'. Members of the ''C. cibarius'' complex in eastern North America are difficult to distinguish from one another without special techniques such as DNA sequencing and microscopic examinations. ''C. enelensis'' is the most commonly found chanterelle in Newfoundland. ''C. enelensis'' is one of 40 varieties of ''Cantharellus'' that grows in North America.

Etymology

The name ''enelensis'' is in honour of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador where the mushroom was first discovered.

Description

''Cantharellus enelensis'' has decurrent ridges that are forked, a cap that is from 2.5-11cm in diameter and can be infundibuliform in older specimens. The flesh is firm and white to pale yellow on the inside and can smell fruity, often described as apricot smelling. The foot of the mushroom gets wider closer to the cap. ''Cantharellus. enelensis'' can be distinguished from ''C. cibarius'' by its

hymenophore A hymenophore refers to the hymenium-bearing structure of a fungal fruiting body. Hymenophores can be smooth surfaces, lamellae, folds, tubes, or teeth. The term was coined by Robert Hooke Robert Hooke FRS (; 18 July 16353 March 1703) was ...

, which is more orange in ''C. enelensis''.

Ecology

''Cantharellus enelensis'' forms

mycorrhizal A mycorrhiza (from Greek μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. mycorrhizae, 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 plan ...

relationships and grows in conifer forests with well drained, moist, sandy soil. The mushrooms beat fruiting bodies between July and September with the peak in August.

Edibility

''Cantharellus enelensis'' mushrooms are considered a choice edible mushroom.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107546798 Fungi of North America Fungi described in 2017 Edible fungi enelensis