''Cantharellus flavus'', also called the American golden chanterelle, Eastern yellow chanterelle or Midwestern yellow chanterelle, is a species of

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from t ...

in the genus ''

Cantharellus ''Cantharellus'' is a genus of popular edible mushrooms, commonly known as chanterelles, a name which can also refer to the type species, '' Cantharellus cibarius''. They are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form symbiotic associations with plant ...

''. Found in North America, it is an edible mushroom.

Taxonomy

''Cantharellus flavus'' was described in 2013 by Matthew Foltz and Tom Volk. Initially, ''C. flavus'' was classified along with similar species under the species name ''

Cantharellus cibarius ''Cantharellus cibarius'' (Latin: ''cantharellus'', "chanterelle"; ''cibarius'', "culinary") is a species of golden chanterelle mushroom in the genus ''Cantharellus''. It is also known as girolle (or ''girole''). It grows in Europe from Scandi ...

''. Since the description of this species in 2013, its validity as a distinct species has been questioned, due to the heterogeneity of its morphology and habitat, which overlaps with the distinguishing characteristics of other species, and only minor molecular differences. Therefore, it has been suggested that ''C. flavus'' is part of the

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

of '' Cantharellus tenuithrix''. Its epithet ''flavus'' comes from the Latin word for "yellow", referring to this species' yellow spore print, stipe, false gills and cap.

Description

The cap is convex when young, flattening out, and arching with age, developing a depressed center. When mature, it can be broadly infundibuliform. It measures wide and has a wavy, tucked in margin. The hyphae of the cap have long terminal cells that measure 85–95 by 4.5–5.5 μm, a characteristic shared with '' C. phasmatis'' and ''C. tenuithrix''. The flesh is yellow, though it pales towards the end of the stipe, and with age. The stipe measures 3–8 cm long and broad and may be tapered towards the base. Applying KOH to the flesh intensifies its color.

Clamp connection A clamp connection is a hook-like structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is a characteristic feature of Basidiomycetes fungi. It is created to ensure that each cell, or segment of hypha separated by septa (cross walls), rec ...

s are found throughout the fungal tissue. The false gills are decurrent and forking, with rounded edges, and the spore print is yellow. The spores are oblong, transparent and smooth, measuring 8–11 x 4.5–6 μm. They do not change colour when mounted with iodine-based reagant (inamyloid). The

basidia A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is highly- ...

measure 75–80 by 7–9 μm and have 4–6

sterigma In biology, a sterigma (pl. sterigmata) is a small supporting structure. It commonly refers to an extension of the basidium (the spore-bearing cells) consisting of a basal filamentous part and a slender projection which carries a spore at the ti ...

. The taste is mild and slightly peppery and the odour is faintly of apricots.

Similar species

''Cantharellus flavus'' can be distinguished from similar species by its yellow rather than white or orange false gills and stipe and yellow rather than pink spore print. It can be distinguished from ''C. lateritius'' by its well-developed false gills.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution of ''C. flavus'' is obscure due to its previous grouping with other species as ''C. cibarius''. Its presence has been confirmed in Wisconsin, Tennessee, North Carolina and Texas, though it is presumed that it is common throughout eastern North America. It prefers growing under oak, but can also grow under hardwoods, or a mixed stand of hardwoods and conifers. It is likely ectomycorrhizal with oak (

Quercus An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...

spp.). It is found in well-drained soils, often on hillsides. It typically grows from July to September and can grow clustered, solitary, or scattered. It was categorised as "least concern" by the IUCN red list in 2021.

Edibility

The species is

edible An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from "eatable" because it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature – such as some mushroo ...

References

External links

flavus Flavus is the Latin word for yellow or blond and has given the name to many, more or less yellow, objects: * Subrius Flavus, a failed Roman conspirator against the Emperor Nero * Flavus, brother of Arminius See also * Flavius * Flava (disambi ...

Fungi described in 2013 Fungi of North America Edible fungi Fungus species {{Agaricomycetes-stub