Thursday 25th February, 2010

Help! Are these oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)?

By Ash

These mushrooms were growing from the trunk of a barely-alive lime (linden) tree (Tilia sp.) in a northern English city. I’m almost certain that they belong to the genus Pleurotus, but I am unsure of the species. I’m thinking Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom, but I’m not confident. Does anybody out there recognise these? Please email me (the address is on the right) or leave a comment below!

Pleurotus ostreatus? Photos taken on the 17th of February.

tags: fungi + lime

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2 comments for Help! Are these oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)?

Richard

27 Feb 2010 12:06:39

I agree. It is surely an oyster mushroom. You could take a black-paper spore print to be super-safe, but I'd just pick 'em and eat 'em. There aren't any toxic lookalikes in the US, but I'm not sure about the UK.
I should mention that I'm strictly an amateur, but I see a lot of pleurotus, as I'm involved in a cultivation project.
Your blog is wonderful. Thanks!

Ash

27 Feb 2010 15:25:42

Thanks Richard. I can't take a spore print or eat them though, because the tree was felled about half an hour after I took these photos! It was growing on a street in the middle of the city and the crown was quite dead, so it was taken down for safety reasons.
I've just been reading Now Sit Down And Watch It Grow - your life as a PCV sounds amazing!

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