Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca - False Chanterelle

False Chanterelle - Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Family: Hygrophoropsidaceae

Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, a gilled boletoid fungus, can easily be mistaken for the chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius; however, although some consider it edible it is bitter tasting and certainly not good to eat.

Identification guide

Cap	Caps vary from 2 to 8cm across, usually a shallow funnel-shaped cap of orange or orange-yellow colour. The margin usually remains slightly inrolled and is often wavy and irregular in diameter, although generally less so than that of Cantharellus cibarius, with which it is sometimes confused.
Gills	Often a brighter orange than the cap colour, the forked gills are decurrent and narrow.
Stem	Typically 3 to 5cm tall and 5 to 10mm in diameter, the stipe is the same colour as the cap or slightly darker.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive. Some people suffer hallucinations after eating this species, and so it should be treated with caution.
Habitat	In coniferous woods or on acid heathland.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	Fairly frequent.
Similar species	Cantharellus cibarius, a popular edible species, has wrinkled veins rather than gills.