365 Urban Species. #289: Oyster Mushroom

[urbpan]

Photos by urbpan. Location: Olmsted Park, Boston.

Urban species 289: Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus

The oyster mushroom is named for its resemblance to a seashell, growing from dead wood (for discussion of this topic, see the entry on turkey tail). Like most mycological topics, the identity of the oyster mushroom(s) is a topic for argument. Some authorities designate all bracket mushrooms (those that attach to wood horizontally with no stalk) that are whitish to grayish to brown as Pleurotus ostreatus. Others save P. ostreatus for the gray capped ones, assigning white capped Pleurotus the species names dryinus or cornucopiae. All agree that a bracket mushroom of these colors, with gils on its spore bearing surface instead of pores, is delicious. Oyster mushrooms are much sought after, even included in the "safe six" in Start Mushrooming and other beginners' foraging guides. Oysters can be cultivated, and many supermarkets include them alongside portobellos (Agaricus bisporus) and shiitakes (Lentinula edodes). Oyster mushrooms are produced by wood decay fungi, which perform the vital service of turning dead wood back in to soil. Along with humans, certain beetle species enjoy eating oyster mushrooms, and these insects are often hiding in the gills of collected specimens.