Chanterelle
Mid-November 2012, San Luis Obispo City Open Space. Under Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) in local fruitings.
Known until very recently as the cosmopolitan Cantharellus cibarius, David Arora’s paper establishing the Central California specimens as their own species, C. californicus, is available on-line
Chanterelle’s do not have true gills; but possess blunt, forked and netted gill “folds” or ridges.
See Michael Kuo discussion of Chanterelles at Mushroom Expert and MykoWeb’ description of C. californicus.
Collection of Chanterelle for the table has a long and storied cultural history in the county, dating in direct lineage to the Swiss-Italian families that settled the coastal live oak prairies. The cast of characters obsessed with this prize is immense and immensely entertaining in its peculiarity and broad diversity.
San Luis Obispo Open Space 1/3/13
Second flush of the season
San Luis Obispo Open Space 1/10/13
San Luis Obispo Open Space
1/10/13
San Luis Obispo Fungi 
Chanterelles have been a bit late this year, but are now arriving! Interesting to know these central Calofornia bewdies are their own species. I habe collected chanterelles back east, and they are much blannder in both fragrance and taste. Hzppy picking! leslie