Horn of plenty or Ashen chanterelle

Fruit body funnel-shaped or tubular, 3–10 cm tall and 2–6 cm across, with no clear boundary between cap and stem. The outer (upper) surface is dark gray or blackish brown, slightly scaly. Margin wavy or irregularly lobed.

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 on the outer surface of the fruit body — smooth or slightly wrinkled, with no true gills or false gills. Gray or bluish gray, with a powdery bloom of spores. This feature sets it apart from the hymenophore of true chanterelles.

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.

There is no stem in the classic sense — the fruit body is one continuous cone-shaped tube. The lower part is narrowed, hollow inside, and the whole structure is open from top to bottom. Grayish or brownish black.

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.

Flesh very thin, brittle, gray or blackish. Taste delicate, pleasant, slightly nutty. When dried it concentrates, taking on a rich, intense, truffle-like flavor.

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.

Smell unobtrusive, pleasant, slightly floral and woodsy in fresh mushrooms. When dried, the aroma intensifies sharply and becomes deep, earthy and truffle-like. That's exactly what makes the dried horn of plenty such a valuable culinary ingredient.

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.