''Craterellus tubaeformis'' (formerly ''Cantharellus tubaeformis'') is an edible fungus, also known as yellowfoot, winter mushroom, or funnel chanterelle. It is

mycorrhiza 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 plant ...

l, forming

symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

associations with plants, making it very challenging to cultivate. It is smaller than the

golden chanterelle ''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 pla ...

(''Cantharellus cibarius'') and has a dark brown cap with paler gills and a hollow yellow stem. ''C. tubaeformis'' tastes stronger but less fruity than the golden chanterelle. It has a very distinctive smokey, peppery taste when raw. It grows in temperate and cold parts of Northern America and Europe, including Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, and the British Isles, as well as in the Himalayas in Asia, including Assam, in the central parts of the Indian subcontinent, and in Thailand. ''C. tubaeformis'' is a yellowish-brown and trumpet-shaped mushroom found in great numbers late in the mushroom season, thus earning the common name winter mushroom. The cap is convex and sometimes hollow down the middle. The gills are widely separated, and of lighter color than the cap. It grows on moss or rotten wood, and in Northern America it is found mostly in conifer bogs. It is an excellent food mushroom, especially fried or in

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ing ...

s, and is easily dried for preservation. Molecular phylogenetics has shown that ''C. tubaeformis'' deserves its reclassification from '' Cantharellus'' to '' Craterellus''. Additionally, it appears that there are two distinct genetic populations that have traditionally been called ''tubaeformis'': one in Europe and eastern

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 ...

, and another in western North America. If these two groups are defined as separate species, the "eastern" yellowfoot would retain the scientific epithet ''tubaeformis'' due to the origin of the type specimens in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. The western North American ''C. tubaeformis'' has been shown to make

ectomycorrhiza An ectomycorrhiza (from Greek ἐκτός ', "outside", μύκης ', "fungus", and ῥίζα ', "root"; pl. ectomycorrhizas or ectomycorrhizae, abbreviated EcM) is a form of symbiotic relationship that occurs between a fungal symbiont, or mycobi ...

l relationships with western hemlock ('' Tsuga heterophylla'') and Douglas-fir ('' Pseudotsuga menziesii''). It is also most common in forests with a large amount of well-rotted coarse woody debris.

Description

The mushroom is mostly yellow-brown. The cap is 1–4 cm wide, generally flat with a depressed center, funnel-shaped, waxy, with a wavy margin, and mild odor and taste. The gills are shallow, decurrent, forked, and pale. The hollow

stalk Stalk or stalking may refer to: Behaviour * Stalk, the stealthy approach (phase) of a predator towards its prey * Stalking, an act of intrusive behaviour or unwanted attention towards a person * Deer stalking, the pursuit of deer for sport Biol ...

is 2–8 cm tall and 1 cm or less wide. The spores are whitish, elliptical, and smooth. It usually fruits later than other mushrooms, sometimes near '' Hydnum repandum''. It usually grows in large groups.

Similar species

The edible ''

Craterellus lutescens ''Craterellus lutescens'', formerly sometimes called ''Cantharellus lutescens'' or ''Cantharellus xanthopus'' or ''Cantharellus aurora'', commonly known as Yellow Foot, is a species of mushroom. It is closely related to ''Craterellus tubaefor ...

'' differs in colour, and is found only in very wet places. Also similar is ''

Cantharellus californicus ''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 plants ...

''.

Edibility

Though small, the mushroom is choice and grows in large groups. It can be eaten with meat, in soups, pasta, and other dishes.

References

External links

''Craterellus tubaeformis''
MushroomExpert.com {{Taxonbar, from=Q371126 Cantharellales Edible fungi Fungi of North America Fungi of Europe Fungi described in 1888