Cantharellus is a
genus of popular
edible mushrooms, commonly known as
chanterelles. They are
mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form
symbiotic associations with
plants, making them very difficult to
cultivate. Caution must be used when identifying chanterelles for consumption due to lookalikes, such as the
Jack-O-Lantern species (
Omphalotus olearius and others), which can make a person very ill. Despite this, chanterelles are one of the most recognized and harvested groups of edible mushrooms.