Part 50

Spores: medium sized, ellipsoid, thin-walled, smooth, 8-10 × 5-6 µm in size and not becoming bluish grey in solutions containing iodine.

Marginal and facial cystidia: absent.

Basidia: 2-8 spored.

Habitat & Distribution: Very common in troops in deciduous woods especially those with beech and oak.

General Information: Easily recognised by its folds and absence of true gills beneath the cap and the overall yellow colour. This fungus is the edible chanterelle of the continental market, where it is considered of very high quality; it can be purchased in this country in tins. C. friesii Quélet is of a bright apricot colour with lilaceous or rose-coloured flesh. The ‘false chanterelle’ Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca (Fries) Maire already discussed (see p. 106) has true gills and is reddish orange in colour.

Illustrations: Hvass 182; LH 59; NB 123²; WD 83¹.

~Craterellus cornucopioides~ (Fries) Persoon

Horn of plenty

Cap: 22-80 mm. Stem: width 15-25 mm; length 25-80 mm.

Description:

Cap: funnel-shaped, membranous to leathery, but limp, dark brown or almost black in wet weather, but on drying becoming dull brown or sepia, slightly scaly and with irregularly wavy margin.

Stem: short, blackish and hollow.

Gills: absent, replaced by a smooth to irregularly wrinkled, ash-grey surface.

Flesh: sepia but drying out greyish ochre.

Spore-print: cream-colour.

Spores: medium sized, hyaline under the microscope, ellipsoid, smooth, 10-11 × 6-7 µm in size and not blueing in solutions containing iodine.

Marginal and facial cystidia: absent.

Basidia: usually 2-spored.

Habitat & Distribution: Often in very large troops in woods, especially under beech.

General Information: This fungus is recognised by the peculiar shape and dull colours which conceal it so well amongst the dead leaves and woodland debris; in the shade of the tree-canopy it is easily overlooked. Craterellus sinuosus (Fries) Fries is a much smaller species with dirty ochraceous fertile surface and brownish grey cap and stem.

‘Cornucopioides’ means like (oides) a horn of plenty, a familiar object in mediaeval paintings as part of heathen festivities full and overflowing either with fruit or wine, or both!

Illustrations: Hvass 186; LH 59; NB 123¹; WD 83⁴.

(iii) Fairy-club fungi

~Clavulina rugosa~ (Fries) Schroeter

Wrinkled club

Cap: absent. Fruit-body: length 50-100 mm; width 7-13 mm.

Description:

Fruit-body: club-shaped, simple with blunt apex or irregular blunt branches, white or dirty cream colour, often thickened upwards and marked with longitudinal wrinkles or grooves and the whole surface of the club bearing spores.