The
Cantharellaceae are a
family of
fungi in the
order Cantharellales. The family contains the chanterelles and related species, a group of fungi that superficially resemble
agarics (gilled mushrooms) but have smooth, wrinkled, or gill-like
hymenophores (spore-bearing undersurfaces). Species in the family are
ectomycorrhizal, forming a mutually beneficial relationship with the roots of trees and other plants. Many of the Cantharellaceae, including the chanterelle (
Cantharellus cibarius), the Pacific golden chanterelle (
Cantharellus formosus), the horn of plenty (
Craterellus cornucopioides), and the trumpet chanterelle (
Craterellus tubaeformis), are not only edible, but are collected and marketed internationally on a commercial scale.