How poisonous are false chanterelle?

False chanterelles are not toxic, but it doesn’t taste as good as a true chanterelle. The gills are somewhere between a true chanterelle and a Jack-O-Lantern mushroom. They are gills, and they are thinner than a chanterelles blunt ridges, but they also fork.

Can you eat false chanterelle mushroom?

Although the False Chanterelle is not known as a seriously toxic toadstool, there are reports that some people have suffered hallucinations after eating this species. The False Chanterelle should therefore be treated with caution, and we recommend that it should be considered as inedible.

Can chanterelles be mistaken?

You should be aware of the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) which can easily be mistaken for true chanterelles if you are not used to the feel, or gestalt, of the true mushroom.

Is the Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca a true mushroom?

This mushroom is in fact the type species of the genus Hygrophoropsis. That this mushroom should be mistaken for an edible Chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius, is understandable: one of its synonymous scientific names is Cantharellus aurantiacus (Wulfen) Fr.

Is the false chanterelle mushroom similar to Hygrophorus?

The genus name Hygrophoropsis means resembling Hygrophorus. (The suffix – opsis comes from Greek and means ‘similar to’.) In shape it is true that woodwaxes ( Hygrophorus species) and the False Chanterelle are somewhat similar, but woodwaxes have broad gills which are, as the name suggests, waxy.

How big is the cap of a false chanterelle?

If you are unfamiliar with woodwaxes, Hygrophoropsis hypothejus, commonly called the Herald of Winter, is a typical example. The specific epithet aurantiaca is a reference to the orange colouring of the False Chanterelle. Cap diameter can range from 2 to 8cm across.