False Chanterelles

Kingdom: Fungi

Family: Hygrophoropsidaceae

Species: Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca

This is the False Chanterelle mushroom, known as Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca. It is given its name because the fungus resembles the edible Chanterelle. The False Chanterelle is fairly common in Britain and the UK, and while it is not poisonous, it has been known to give some people hallucinations and others have reported digestive problems. It is not particularly tasty either, described as being earthy and bitter, so is not classed as edible. They are in season from August – November. The ones I found have slightly wavy, lobed caps due to age.

It’s distinctive features include:

Cap - 2 to 8 cm across. Usually a convex shape and an orange colour, although the ones I found are going slightly brown as they are going out of season. This was the feature that most helped me to identify the species as it is the most distinctive.

Gills – A slightly brighter colour orange than the cap. Gills are used by mushrooms as a means of spore dispersal. These gills are decurrent (extend down the stem) and narrow. I used this feature to double check that I had correctly identified the species after I had examined the cap.

Stem – Small – 3 – 5 cm in height and 5 – 10 mm in diameter. Grows paler toward the base.

How is it different from the real Chanterelle?

The main way to tell the difference is by examining the gills. In real Chanterelles, the gills appear to be lumpy folds rather than close blades. This is because the real Chanterelle has false gills while the false Chanterelle has real gills. The False Chanterelle’s cap is also often a deeper orange and are not one uniform colour, rather, they are graded. The real Chanterelle is a more yellowy colour.