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Concept
Polyozellus multiplex
Summary
Polyozellus multiplex is a species complex of fungi first described in 1899. P. multiplex is commonly known as the blue chanterelle, the clustered blue chanterelle, or, in Alaska, the black chanterelle.
The fruiting bodies of this species are blue- to purple-colored clusters of vase- or spoon-shaped caps, with veiny wrinkles on the underside which run down the length of the stem. P. multiplex was considered the monotypic species of the genus Polyozellus until recent molecular research divided the P. multiplex species complex into five species. The genus name is derived from the Greek poly meaning many, and oz, meaning branch. The specific epithet multiplex means "in many pieces," referring to the compound nature of the fruiting body.
P. multiplex may be found growing on the ground in coniferous forests, usually under spruce and fir trees. It is an edible species, and has been harvested for commercial purposes. P. multiplex contains the bioactive compound polyozellin, which has been shown to have various beneficial physiological properties, including suppressive effects on stomach cancer.
Polyozellus multiplex is part of the group of fungi collectively known as cantharelloid mushrooms (which includes the genera Cantharellus, Craterellus, Gomphus, and Polyozellus), because of the similarity of their fruiting structures and the morphology of the spore-producing region (the hymenophore) on the underside of the caps.
The fan- or funnel-shaped fruit bodies of the black chanterelle grow clustered together on the ground, often in large masses that may reach aggregate diameters of up to , although they are usually up to .
The individual caps, wide and almost as long, are violet-black, with edges that are initially whitish, and with a glaucous surface — a white powdery accumulation of spore deposit. The upper surface may be zonate — lined with what appear to be multiple concentric zones of texture caused by areas of fine hairs (a tomentum) — and the edges of the caps are lobed and wavy with a layer of very fine hairs.
Official source
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