horn of plenty Craterellus cornucopioides, an edible fungus related to the chanterelle but brown, grey, or bluish in colour, and almost black when wet. The stem and cap form a continuous structure which may be 12 cm (5") high. The fungus grows in the late summer and autumn, typically in the midst of hazel or beech trees. It is found in China as well as Europe and N. America.
The reputation of the horn of plenty varies from country to country. Most British authorities are unenthusiastic about it, except perhaps for use as a condiment after being dried and powdered, a procedure also recommended in France. In Scandinavia, however, it is given a higher rating; and in the USA McIlvaine (1902) described it as first class and said that several other species of the genus found there were equally good.
