Fauna
Fungus

Scaly Chanterelle

Turbinellus floccosus

Also known as Scaly Vase, Woolly Chanterelle, Shaggy Chanterelle

Scaly chanterelles form striking, bright orange vase-shaped fruiting bodies that emerge from damp needle litter in coniferous forests. These fungi form ectomycorrhizal partnerships with trees like Douglas-fir, aiding soil nutrient exchange across western North American and Asian woodlands. Their coarse, woolly scales and deeply hollowed caps make them a prominent sign of early autumn rains.

OrangeWoodlandFungus
Scaly Chanterelle reference1 / 7
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyTree Root Carbohydrates, Soil Minerals, Organic Nutrients
Predators
  • Slugs
  • Fungus Gnats
  • Squirrels
ThreatsDeforestation and Habitat Loss
HabitatsConiferous and Mixed Forests
Life spanFruiting body 1–3 weeks; mycelium lives for decades
Classification
  1. OrderGomphales
  2. FamilyGomphaceae
  3. GenusTurbinellus
  4. SpeciesTurbinellus floccosus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Causes severe gastrointestinal distress; many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes, so never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Why it is dangerous
Contains alpha-tetradecylcitric acid, which causes severe gastrointestinal distress, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps if consumed.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Look for a bright reddish-orange trumpet shape with a deeply hollowed, scaly center and whitish wrinkled underside.
What to do
Safe to touch or photograph up close, but wash hands afterward and never ingest wild fungi.
Responsible observation
  • Observation: Look for these bright orange funnels pushing through damp moss or fallen fir needles.
  • Identification: Examine the underside to confirm wrinkled, vein-like ridges rather than distinct blade-like gills.
  • Photography: Capture the deep funnel structure from a top-down angle to highlight the coarse scales inside.
Related species
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