Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca

Morphological Features:

Pileus small in size, rarely exceeding 5 cm in diameter in adult specimens; initially convex but tending to become funnel-shaped, eventually infundibuliform at maturity. The surface exhibits variable coloration: sometimes matte orange, other times bright yellow, and yellowish specimens are also commonly encountered. The cuticle is pruinose in young specimens and separable from the flesh. The margin, incurved in its early stages, becomes extended, thin, and fairly regular.

Lamellae markedly decurrent and crowded, orange in color and more vivid than the pileus; anastomosing or sometimes forked, rather thin, and somewhat easily separable from the flesh.

Stipe cylindrical and well-proportioned, slightly attenuated at the base; color varies from yellow to pale orange, frequently with a blackish base in mature specimens (var. nigripes). Not easily broken due to its slight flexibility, and solid throughout.

Flesh very scanty, soft in the pileus and tough in the stipe, similar in color to the external surface. Odor is faint, and taste slightly bitter.

Habitat:

One of the most common species in our forests, capable of forming extensive mats in coniferous woodlands. It generally grows in gregarious clusters from summer onwards, and particularly throughout autumn.

Observations:

It is difficult to understand why this fungus is classified as edible in some monographs, given its scanty flesh and astringent taste. Its striking resemblance to the chanterelle (rebozuelo or saltsaperretxiko), Cantharellus cibarius, is well known; the latter possesses ridges instead of true lamellae, much firmer flesh, and a characteristic fruity odor. Great care must be taken not to confuse it with the toxic species Omphalotus olearius, which is more strictly lignicolous and forms clusters on broadleaf trees.