False Chanterelle

Habitat

This common species is found in both coniferous and broad-leaved woodlands, appearing on acidic sites or alkaline soils. It frequently grows on needle litter, humus, or well-decayed logs and stumps. It is also often found in urban areas on wood chips, as well as on heathlands and occasionally near rushes in fens or carrs. It may grow solitarily, in clusters, or in large trooping groups.

Photos

Appearance

Cap

2–10 cm wide; initially convex with an inrolled margin, developing a central depression and eventually becoming funnel-shaped. The surface is dry, soft, and feels velvety or downy like chamois leather when young, becoming smoother or matted with age. Color is highly variable, ranging from bright orange and orange-yellow to orange-brown or even whitish-cream.

Gills

Deeply decurrent and crowded; they are thin and narrow rather than thick ridges. They fork repeatedly and often appear wavy or wrinkled. Color is typically bright to dull orange or yellow-orange, often more vibrant than the cap surface.

Stem

2–7 cm long and 0.5–1 cm thick. It is often curved, sometimes eccentric (off-center), and equal or tapering toward the base. Texture is fibrous and soft, colored similarly to the cap though sometimes darker at the base. White mycelium or thread-like rhizomorphs may be present at the bottom.

Flesh

Thin and flabby or soft in texture; white to pale orange or yellowish. It is much more flexible and flimsy compared to the stringy, firm flesh of true chanterelles.

Spore print

White.

Odor and Taste

Flavor and smell range from indistinct to earthy, mushroomy, or slightly unpleasant.

Edibility

Often confused with the chanterelle, this species is distinguished by its thin, repeatedly forking gills and soft, flabby, or tough texture rather than thick gill-like folds and stringy flesh. While sometimes described as edible, it is best avoided as it contains arabitol and can cause gastrointestinal upset or even alarming symptoms like hallucinations in some individuals. The taste has been described as indistinct, mushroomy, earthy, or unpleasant.

Nutrient Source

It obtains nutrients by decomposing dead organic material found in forest litter and decaying wood.

Common Names

Basque

zizahori faltsua, zizahori faltsu

Catalan

pixacá toronja, fals rossinyol, pixacá taronja

Danish

Almindelig orangekantarel

Dutch

Valse hanenkam, Valse hanekam

English

False Chanterelle

Finnish

valevahvero

French

Fausse girolle

German

Falscher Pfifferling

Norwegian Bokmål

falsk kantarell

Norwegian Nynorsk

falsk kantarell

Spanish

Rebozuelo anaranjado, falso rebozuelo

Swedish

narrkantarell, falsk kantarell

Welsh

Siantrel Ffug

Synonyms

• Agaricus aurantiacus
• Agaricus subcantharellus
• Cantharellus aurantiacus
• Cantharellus aurantiacus
• Cantharellus aurantiacus
• Cantharellus brachypodes
• Cantharellus brachypodus
• Cantharellus lacteus
• Cantharellus ravenelii
• Cantharellus rufescens
• Clitocybe aurantiaca
• Clitocybe aurantiaca
• Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
• Merulius aurantiacus
• Merulius aurantiacus
• Merulius brachypodis
• Merulius brachypodus
• Merulius nigripes
• Merulius ravenelii
• Merulius rufescens