Chanterelles are famous because they are wonderful to eat. In Europe they are highly regarded, the name Chanterelle being the French name. In German they are called Pfifferlings. These names apply specifically to the species Cantharellus cibarius.
Most members of this highly edible family are yellow to orange and grow on the forest floor. They grow in colonies, and look as if someone had thrown a dishpan of orange peels onto the forest floor. Some have gills, some have no gills.
Most members of the order Cantharellales are saprotrophic -- they derive their nutrients from dead organic matter, and thus help decompose plant remains. They can do this because they digest cell-wall cellulose or lignin.
http://www.backyardnature.net/f/chanterl.htm
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