{"id":90671,"date":"2024-07-04T12:16:27","date_gmt":"2024-07-04T11:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?p=90671"},"modified":"2025-07-29T14:15:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:15:45","slug":"amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2024\/07\/04\/amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification\/","title":{"rendered":"Amethyst Chanterelle (Cantharellus Amethysteus) Identification"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><b>Amethyst Chanterelle \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Winter \/ Edible<\/b><\/h1>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-90671 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2024\/07\/04\/amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification\/am-chanterelle-shot-of-the-cap\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"255\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-the-cap-300x255.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-90697\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-the-cap-300x255.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-the-cap-150x128.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-the-cap.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-90697'>\n\t\t\t\tWaldpilz006.jpg: Danny Stevenderivative work: Ak ccm, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2024\/07\/04\/amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification\/am-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-90698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-90698'>\n\t\t\t\tHolger Krisp, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2024\/07\/04\/amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification\/am-chanterelle-two-pale-specimens\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-two-pale-specimens-300x224.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-two-pale-specimens-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-two-pale-specimens-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-two-pale-specimens.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2024\/07\/04\/amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification\/am-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-90701\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-90701'>\n\t\t\t\tJerzy Opio\u0142a, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2024\/07\/04\/amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification\/amethyst-chanterelle-small-group-in-situ-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-small-group-in-situ-min-225x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-small-group-in-situ-min-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-small-group-in-situ-min-113x150.jpg 113w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-small-group-in-situ-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2024\/07\/04\/amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification\/amethyst-chanterelle-in-hand-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min-225x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min-113x150.jpg 113w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>The Amethyst Chanterelle (Cantharellus amethysteus) is a captivating mushroom known for its striking purple hue and delightful flavour. This identification guide aims to help mushroom enthusiasts and foragers recognise this unique fungus in the wild.<\/p>\n<p>Found in deciduous and coniferous forests across Europe, the Amethyst Chanterelle is prized for its culinary uses and visual appeal. Characterised by its funnel-shaped cap, wavy edges, and distinctive amethyst colouration, it can be distinguished from other Chanterelles by its vibrant appearance.<\/p>\n<p>With this guide, you&#8217;ll learn to identify, harvest, and appreciate the Amethyst Chanterelle safely and responsibly.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Scientific Name<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cantharellus Amethysteus<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Common Names<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amethyst Chanterelle<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Family<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cantharellaceae<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Habitat<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are mycorrhizal and usually grow under hardwood trees, particularly oaks. Very rarely they are found near Pines.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Description<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A rare mushroom in the UK, usually found in small groups. sometimes found in large troops, they can also grow in rings or individually. Very beginner friendly as it has \u2018folds\u2019 rather than gills.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Identifying Features:<\/b><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Cap:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The caps are flat topped when young developing a depression as they age. They have a slightly downy texture with irregular, wavy edges, toughly 5-10 cm in diameter. The colour varies depending on age, from light yellow to brown but with a slight purplish hint.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-131720\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min-113x150.jpg 113w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Amethyst-Chanterelle-in-hand-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Stem:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stem is paler than the cap and usually no more than 2 cm long. The flesh is the same colour as the stem.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_90701\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90701\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-90701\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-shot-of-stem-and-ridges.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-90701\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jerzy Opio\u0142a, CC BY-SA 4.0 &lt;https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Gills:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not technically gills, they have yellow wrinkled folds or veins on the underside of the cap. The veins are very thick and decurrent, and are straight near to the stem but forked towards the edge of the cap.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_90698\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90698\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-90698\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/am.-chanterelle-close-up-of-the-ridges.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-90698\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0 &lt;https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_29472\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29472\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29472\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Decurrent-Gill-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Decurrent-Gill-1.png 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Decurrent-Gill-1-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Decurrent-Gill-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-29472\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Decurrent Gill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Smell:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They smell of apricots when fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Spores:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pale yellow with a slight hint of purple.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Uses:<\/b><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>In food:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pretty much the same flavour and texture as a normal Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) which is one of the most prized wild mushrooms in the wild.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Harvesting Tips:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As they are quite rare, I would only take them if they were abundant and I&#8217;d leave any small specimens to drop their spores.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Known hazards:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None known.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Potential lookalikes:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most similar looking mushroom is the<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2021\/11\/25\/girolle-mushrooms-cantharellus-cibarius-identification\/\">Chanterelle<\/a> (Cantharellus cibarius), the Chanterelle is more yellow in colour and is also a gourmet edible.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>References:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.first-nature.com\/fungi\/cantharellus-amethysteus.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.first-nature.com\/fungi\/cantharellus-amethysteus.php<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amethyst Chanterelle \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Winter \/ Edible The Amethyst Chanterelle (Cantharellus amethysteus) is a captivating mushroom known for its striking purple hue and delightful flavour. This identification guide aims to help mushroom enthusiasts and foragers recognise this unique fungus in the wild. Found in deciduous and coniferous&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":90700,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1778,1780,114,88,1777],"tags":[1897,1895,239,506,1896,152,389,238,122],"class_list":["post-90671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autumn","category-edible","category-mushroom-identification","category-mushrooms","category-summer","tag-amethyst-chanterelle","tag-amethyst-chanterelle-cantharellus-amethysteus-identification","tag-autumn","tag-cantharellaceae","tag-cantharellus-amethysteus","tag-edible","tag-fungi","tag-summer","tag-winter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90671"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131721,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90671\/revisions\/131721"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}