Craterellus foetidus
The Fragrant Black Trumpet (Craterellus foetidus) is an uncommon find in most regions of Illinois. But rare quality is like that.
Summer mushroom hunters drop to their knees when they spot a few of these veined, vaselike delicacies. Some might pump a fist into the air. It’s because they know the rich, strongly floral aroma of this relative of the Chanterelle is but a tantalizing precursor of that evening’s dinner event. Unlike the thin and totally hollow, regular Black Trumpet (Craterellus cornucopiodes) that wilts like wet spinach when cooked, the Fragrant Black Trumpet is a meatier mushroom--and, arguably, even better tasting than the Black Trumpet itself. In basic appearance and habitat, this thick-stemmed mushroom superficially resembles the hollow, funnel-like Black Trumpet . And while both feature a hole in the top of the vaselike mushroom, the stem of this species is solid near the base. Another difference: The well-defined, netlike veins on the undersurface of this mushroom is not typical on regular Black Trumpets.
The lower portion of the stem is often solid, becoming hollow or tube-like higher toward the flared cap.