Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus cornucopiae)
- Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
- Family: Pleurotaceae (Voshenkovye)
- Genus: Pleurotus (Oyster mushroom)
- Type: Pleurotus cornucopiae (Oyster mushroom)
Cap of oyster mushroom: 3-10 cm in diameter, horn-shaped, funnel-shaped, less often – tongue-shaped or leaf-shaped (with a distinct tendency to “bend up”) in adult specimens, convex with a tucked edge – in young ones. The color of oyster mushroom is quite variable depending on the age of the fungus and growing conditions – from light, almost white, to gray-buff; the surface is smooth. The flesh of the cap is white, fleshy, elastic, becoming quite hard and fibrous with age. It has no particular smell or taste.
Plates of oyster mushroom: White, sinuous, rare, descending to the very base of the legs, in the lower part are often intertwined, forming a kind of pattern.
Spore powder: White.
Stem of oyster mushroom: Central or lateral, usually well defined compared to other oyster mushrooms; length 3-8 cm, thickness up to 1,5 cm. The surface of the stem is covered with descending plates almost to the tapering base.
Spread: Horn-shaped oyster mushroom grows from early May to mid-September on the remains of deciduous trees; the mushroom is not rare, but the addiction to hard-to-reach places – brown, dense shrubs, clearings – makes it not as noticeable as other oyster mushrooms.
Similar species: Of the popular oyster mushrooms, the pulmonary oyster mushroom is similar, but the horn-shaped form is not characteristic of it, and you will not find such a pronounced leg in it.
Edibility: Like all oyster mushrooms, horn-shaped edible and even delicious in a way.