Grayling or Ashen chanterelle

The cap of the grayling is small — 2 to 5 centimeters across. When young it is convex, becoming funnel-shaped and depressed with age, yet it almost always keeps a prominent pointed knob (umbo) in the center, to which the mushroom owes its name. The surface is finely fibrous, dry, matte. The coloring is gray, gray-brown or ashy brown, often darker in the center.

The cap of the ashen chanterelle is small, from 1.5 to 5 centimeters across. When young it is convex with a depressed center; with age it opens into a deep funnel, often with a hollow that connects to the hollow stem, and a wavy, uneven margin. The surface is finely scaly-fibrous and dry. The color is dark: blackish-brown to gray-black in wet weather, ash-gray to grayish-brown when dry. The dark color and funnel shape make the mushroom look like a small horn of plenty.

The hymenophore is gilled. The gills are white or grayish-white, narrow, very crowded, running noticeably down the stem (decurrent) and characteristically forked (splitting in two), reminiscent of the ridges of chanterelles. When damaged and with age, they may develop reddish-pink spots. The spore print is white. Forked decurrent gills are the key feature of the species.

There are no true gills. The underside of the cap is covered with low, thick, forked and interconnected vein-like ridges that run noticeably down the stem. They are dark gray or ash-gray, with a bluish-gray bloom from the spores. The spore print is whitish or cream. Vein-like ridges instead of gills are the hallmark of chanterelles.

The stem is thin, cylindrical, 3 to 8 centimeters tall, grayish or light brown, matching the cap or slightly paler, springy, with whitish felty mycelium at the base. The surface is smooth or finely fibrous. There is no ring and no volva. When cut, the stem may also turn slightly red.

The stem is short, 2 to 8 centimeters long, fairly thin, often hollow and connected to the hollow in the cap. It is gray, the same shade as the cap or slightly paler, sometimes with whitish felty mycelium at the base. The surface is smooth or faintly velvety. There is no ring and no volva. The stem flows smoothly into the cap with no sharp boundary.

The flesh is thin, springy, whitish or grayish, and when cut or damaged slowly takes on a reddish-pink tint. The taste is mild, without bitterness. Because of its thin texture, the mushroom rounds out the basket rather than anything else; for the table, choose young, firm specimens.

The flesh is thin, brittle, grayish or gray-brown, and barely changes color when cut. The taste is mild and pleasant, with no bitterness. Despite its thin texture, the flesh is fragrant, holds its shape well in cooking, and is especially prized dried.

The smell is faint, pleasant or almost imperceptible, with no sharp notes. The aroma is not a defining feature, so for identification you rely on the gray knobbed cap, the forked decurrent gills that turn red, and its growth among haircap moss.

The smell is pleasant and mild, fruity and mushroomy, a little fainter than the distinctive aroma of the golden chanterelle. When dried, the aroma grows stronger and becomes similar to that of the horn of plenty. For identification, rely first of all on the dark funnel-shaped cap, the gray vein-like ridges and the hollow stem.