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Chanterelles?


JeffM

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Maybe. Many features in your pictures strongly suggest Chanterelle. But....

The gill structure looks too thin for a Chanterelle. But they are white inside like a real Chanterelle.

If you rub it, do the "gills" fracture and break away from the cap? A real Chanterelle  will have "gills" that are more like strong ridges that do not break or separate easily from the main cap.

The gill structure is decurrent like a Chanterelle but there is an irregular abrupt termination of the gill structure that is not like any Chanterelles I have seen.

Do they smell like Chanterelle...a fruity (apricot) mushroomy odor. 

Suggest you do not eat until someone like Dave  comments.

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So yes, those look like chanterelles to me, except in the fifth photo down, I agree with Johny that one seems a little suspect. That said, it doesn't look like the typical chanterelle lookalikes to me either. Not sure what it might be if not a chanterelle? Johny's recommendations are all good, particularly the smell of chanterelles is usually pretty telling. 

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It's the responsibility of the person who collects/possesses the mushrooms to decide if they are edible. But, IMO these mushrooms are all some type of chanterelle (Cantharellus species). The genus was recently revised in NA, and several new species have been named. The degree of development seen in the hymenium (fertile under-surface) varies from one species to another. Older field guides probably fail to adequately document this. What had once been called "Cantharellus cibarius" in NA entails a group of fairly similar types that exhibit more variable morphology than suggested. I think the solid and pure white interior flesh is a dependable trait. Also, as has been stated, the fruity aroma. Types of chanterelles that have pseudo-gills (not C. lateritius) generally have forked ridges with veins. The fifth photo down does indeed show a particularly well-developed hymenium. Does this mushroom have the thick totally white internal flesh like the others? I think it probably does. But... an old saying among mushroom hunters who look for edibles, "when in doubt, throw it out."

Species of Hygrophoropsis also have decurrent gills with forks and veins. What is called H. aurantiaca probably represents a group of similar species. I have seen examples with hymenium that looks very similar to Cantharellus. One important difference is to understand the notion of "pseudo-gills" versus true gills. Hygrophoropsis have true gills. That is, the layer of context that comprises the hymenium is distinct from the context comprising the rest of the cap. often, it's possible to peel away a layer of true gills. The pseudo-gills of Cantharellus are folds/ridges where the context is not a distinct layer, but rather an extension of the context comprising the rest of the cap.

Still, telling the difference between Cantharellus and Hygrophoropsis can be tricky. The colors of the mushrooms of these two genera are generally subtly different. But Hygrophoropsis exhibits a wide range of color. 

The most important thing to learn about chanterells is how to avoid collecting Omphalotus illudens (Jack 'o Lantern). The mushrooms seen here are not O. illudens. 

Here's a few examples/info on Hygrophoropsis. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hygrophoropsis_aurantiaca.html      https://mushroomobserver.org/390987?q=1Me5g     https://mushroomobserver.org/263746?q=1Me5g      This next one includes a photo showing the distinct layers of gills/cap context https://mushroomobserver.org/103110?q=1Me5g .

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