Horn Of Plenty

Description:

raterellus cornucopioides is an edible mushroom, the horn of plenty, also known as black chanterelle, black trumpet, trompette de la mort or trumpet of the dead. The Cornucopia, in Greek mythology, referred to the magnificent horn of the nymph Amalthea's goat (or of herself in goat form), that filled itself with whatever meat or drink its owner requested. It has become the symbol of plenty. The idea of the name "trumpet of the dead" is that the growing mushrooms are being played as trumpets by people under the ground. The fruiting body does not have a separation into stalk and cap, but is shaped like a funnel expanded at the top, normally up to about 10 cm (4 in) tall and 7 cm (2.75 in) in diameter[1][2] (but said to grow exceptionally to 15 cm (6 in)[3][4]). The upper/inner surface is black or dark grey and the lower/outer fertile surface is a much lighter shade of grey. The fertile surface is more or less smooth but may be somewhat wrinkled. The size of the elliptical spores is in the range 10-17 µm × 6-11 µm. The basidia are 2-spored. Craterellus cornucopioides Spores 1000x Distribution and habitat[edit] This fungus is found in woods in North America, Europe, Japan and Korea.Mainly it grows under beech, oak or other broad-leaved trees, especially in moss in moist spots on heavy calcareous soil. In Europe it is generally common but seems to be rare in some countries such as the Netherlands. It appears from June to November. The mushroom is usually almost black, and it is hard to find because of its dark colour, which easily blends in with the leaf litter on the forest floor. Hunters of this mushroom say it is like looking for black holes in the ground.