Horn of plenty

I love this time of year as you just never know what exciting things you're going to stumble across. This morning I found a large patch of black, trumpet shaped fungus called 'horn of plenty'. They're quite dramatic to look at, but surprisingly hard to spot as they blend into the lead litter. I just happened to see one, then looked around and realized there were lots growing nearby at the base of the beech trees.

It's related to the chanterelles and is also sometimes called the black chanterelle, black trumpet or trompette de la mort (trumpet of the dead in French). Apparently this name comes from the fact that it looks like trumpets sticking out of the ground being played by dead people.

It's edible, but really doesn't look very appetizing and I'm just not sure I fancy eating a black mushroom!

Quite an exciting find for a stroll through the woods!