Cantharellus cinnabarinus, commonly known as the Red Chanterelle or Cinnabar Chanterelle, is a species of fungus belonging to the Cantharellaceae family. This vibrant mushroom is characterized by its striking red-orange to cinnabar colouration and distinctive funnel-shaped cap. Unlike its more widely known cousin, Cantharellus cibarius, Cantharellus cinnabarinus is smaller in size. Cantharellus cinnabarinus forms mycorrhizal relationships with hardwood trees, notably beech and oaks. It grows either alone, scattered, or in groups.

Cap starts convex, broadening as it ages, eventually becoming flat or shallowly depressed at the centre. Initially, the margin curls inward, later expanding and developing waviness. Colour ranges from flamingo pink to cinnabar red, with hues of pinkish-orange or reddish-orange. The mushroom has gill-like veins under the cap that run down the stem, not gills. Flesh whitish or tinged with the cap color; not changing color when sliced. Stem solid, equal when young but by maturity usually tapers downward from the cap. It is coloured like the cap or paler. Spore print whitish or slightly pinkish.

Microscopic Features: Spores measure 6-8 x 3.5-5 µ and are ellipsoid, sometimes showing constriction. They have a smooth surface, are inamyloid, and appear ochraceous in KOH. Their contents are finely granular.

Cantharellus cinnabarinus on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.

The first photo is by dario.z and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.