Craterellus cornucopioides, the black trumpet or horn of plenty, is a hollow, funnel-shaped member of the Cantharellaceae. Its fruit bodies are black to dark grey, with a paler grey, smooth to wrinkled spore-bearing outer surface instead of gills. It grows in broadleaf woodland, often in moss on heavy calcareous soil, and is a prized edible. North American black trumpets are mostly different species.
Edible and considered choice; dried specimens develop truffle-like notes and can be crumbled as a seasoning. No dangerous look-alikes are reported. Similar species include Craterellus sinuosus (more wrinkled, yellower spores), Cantharellus cinereus (rudimentary gills) and Polyozellus multiplex (purplish tint). The hollow trumpet traps grit and insects, so split and clean before cooking.
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Habitat
Ectomycorrhizal in woodland, mainly under beech, oak and other broadleaf trees, often in moss in moist spots on heavy calcareous soil. Fruits June-November in Europe (August-November in the UK).
Distribution
Eurasia; also reported from Australia (rainforest gullies, often with Nothofagus) and North America. In North America the name is often misapplied: eastern black trumpets are mostly Craterellus fallax (yellowish to orange spore print), and the West Coast species is an undescribed Craterellus (whitish to cream spore print).
Characteristics
Fruit body: Trumpet- or funnel-shaped, hollow nearly to the base, 0.5-8 cm wide and typically up to 10 cm (rarely 15 cm) tall; inner surface black to dark grey, rarely yellow. Hymenium: Smooth or with shallow decurrent wrinkles, lighter grey; no true gills. Flesh: Very thin and brittle. Spore print: Whitish to buff, sometimes only a light dusting. Spores: Elliptical, 8-11 x 5-7 um; basidia two-spored. Key features: Dark hollow trumpet with a smooth grey outer surface.
