Blue chanterelle

Appearance

''Polyozellus multiplex'' is part of the group of fungi collectively known as cantharelloid mushrooms because of the similarity of their fruit body structures and the morphology of the spore-producing region on the underside of the caps.

The fan- or funnel-shaped fruit bodies of the black chanterelle grow clustered together on the ground, often in large masses that may reach aggregate diameters of up to 1 meter , although they are usually up to 30 centimeters .

The individual caps, 3–5 cm wide and almost as long, are violet-black, with edges that are initially whitish, and with a glaucous surface—a white powdery accumulation of spore deposit. The upper surface may be zonate—lined with what appear to be multiple concentric zones of texture caused by areas of fine hairs; and the edges of the caps have a layer of very fine hairs and are lobed and wavy.

The underside of the caps bears the fertile, spore-making tissue called the hymenium, which typically has shallow, crowded wrinkles or veins that are roughly the same color or paler than the top surface. Some variation in color has been observed depending on the collection location. For example, specimens found in Alaska are more likely to be jet-black in color with a dark gray underside.

Fruit bodies may be up to 15 cm high and 10 cm wide. Occasionally, much larger clusters of fused mushrooms are found, up to a meter in diameter.

The stem is dark purplish-black with a smooth and dry surface; the stems are often fused at the base. It is typically 1.5–2 cm wide and up to 5 cm long. The flesh is dark violet, soft but breaking easily. The spore deposit is white.The spores are roughly spherical to broadly ellipsoid in shape, covered with small wart-like projections , and have dimensions of 6–8.5 by 5.5–8 µm.

Naming

The horn-of-plenty mushroom also has a blackish fruit body and a smooth hymenium, but is distinguished from ''P. multiplex'' by its thin flesh, a trumpet- or tubular-shaped fruit body , and grey to black colors. A closely related species, the fragrant chanterelle, also tends to grow in dense clusters, but it is orange rather than blue.

''Craterellus caeruleofuscus'' does not form compound clusters, and is not restricted to coniferous forests. The pig's ear Gomphus, species ''Gomphus clavatus'', is similar in shape and form but fleshier, and light violet to pink.

Distribution

This species is northern and alpine in distribution, and rarely encountered. Collections have been made in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, and Korea. The disjunct distribution of this species in North America and East Asia has been noted to occur in a number of other fungal species as well. ''Polyozellus multiplex'' is also found in the Queen Charlotte Islands, where it is commercially harvested.

Habitat

''Polyozellus multiplex'' is an ectomycorrhizal species, meaning that the hyphae of the fungus grow in a mutualistic association with the roots of plants, but the fungal hyphae generally do not penetrate the cells of the plant's roots. The species grows in coniferous woods under spruce and fir, and more frequently at higher elevations. It is most often encountered in summer and fall.